A large crowd came out Thursday night for a candlelight vigil for the seven Lowell fire victims.
Buddhist monks along with members of the Southeastern Asian Community lead the crowd of community members down Branch Street.
The procession stopped right in front of the burned-out apartment building, where the monks chanted.
Others held candles and incense and prayed for the lives lost.
"They came from a country that's running from the war, and basically to experience this here, is really really sad," said Bopha Malone, of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Organization.
Three children sadly died in the fire.
One man described how a grandmother from Rhode Island saw the news on TV and then drove to Lowell, assuming all her grandchildren, who lived there, were deceased. Thankfully they were reunited.
Rady Mom, described the reunion: "We got there and as we walked into the senior center she saw her nephew wearing a green shirt and ran over and hugged her, and she wept and I was beside myself."
Mayor Rodney M. Elliot described the response as overwhelming.
"This is what the city of Lowell is all about, this is what we do, we come together," he said.
Donations by the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association were also taken at the vigil, since many others who lived in the apartment, some jumping from windows to safety, lost everything and now need help.
"I hope that people the victims get the help they need," said Lowell resident Alfred Marchand.
A memorial service and fundraising event will be held Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the Glory Buddhist Temple in Lowell.
For up-to-the-minute news and weather, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
