Mother, six-year-old daughter die in Las Vegas fire, father dies days later
LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — Emotions are at an all-time high outside a burned out apartment, where family members say 37-year-old Diana Bankson died in the flames on Jan. 19.
Bankson's official cause of death was determined to be inhalation of smoke and soot from the house fire and the manner was undetermined.
Bankson's 8-year-old daughter, Kaysha Ray died around 2:48 p.m. that same day at the hospital after suffering severe burns from the fire. She was found lying on the floor of her bedroom unconscious as smoke billowed above her.
The Clark County Coroner's Office determined her official cause of death to be carbon monoxide poisoning with another significant condition of cutaneous thermal burn injuries and the manner was ruled an accident.
Andrew Ray's official cause of death was determined to be cutaneous thermal burn injuries and the manner was undetermined.
Family members notified News 3 nearly a week later that Kaysha's father, 39-year-old Andrew Ray, died at UMC on Jan. 25 from injuries sustained during the fire.
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Andrew Ray was also found by firefighters on the ground in front of the building struggling to breathe.
The couple’s two teenage daughters who were sleeping in a separate room and broke a glass window escape.
“They were in the house sleeping and the stove caught on fire, and it burned my sister up. She is dead now and my niece has 80% burns on her body -- she is six-years-old,” said Bankson’s sister, Phyllis Burns.
News 3 originally received reports that the child was six, but the Clark County Coroner's Office later confirmed that she was eight-years-old.
The Phyllis now questions the safety of the building. “This place needs to be closed down and this one right here,” said Phyliss.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials say the blaze started just after midnight in the living room. Investigators still do know the exact cause of the fire.
Bankson’s other sister, Belinda Greene says the five people staying at that apartment were trapped.
“They need to do something about these raggedy buildings. These apartments are not good. My sister is dead,” said Greene.
Firefighters say they found no smoke alarms inside the apartment. After 1994, smoke alarms were required, however, it’s not clear when this apartment building was built. When we asked the property managers about the building's records, they told us they had no comment.
Greene says she won’t rest until she has an explanation for her sister’s death.
“They were stuck inside. There is only one way in and one way out,” said Greene.
