A Jewish man and two children attend the funeral procession for seven children who died in a house fire yesterday in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Agence France-Presse)
Seven Orthodox Jewish children from the same family who died in a house fire in New York's borough of Brooklyn at the weekend were buried in Jerusalem today.
More than 1,000 people including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat attended Monday's burial at the Givat Shaul cemetery for the children aged between five and 16.
The children died when their home was engulfed in flames on Saturday after a portable cooker malfunctioned.
New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro, in comments quoted by The New York Times, called it "the largest tragedy by fire that this city has had in seven years".
US officials identified the victims as 16-year-old Eliane, 12-year-old David, 11-year-old Rivkah, 10-year-old Yeshua, eight-year-old Moshe, six-year-old Sara and five-year-old Yaakob, all from the Sassoon family.
The children were buried in adjoining graves.
The tragedy is thought to have happened because the portable hotplate had been left on to keep food warm.
Because Orthodox Jewish customs proscribe the lighting of a fire or flame on the Sabbath, many families leave electrical appliances running to keep food warm over the day of rest instead of using stoves.