East Village explosion victim will be laid to rest



The family of Nicholas Figueroa, one of the victims of the East Village explosion, successfully raised more than $27,300 on GoFundMe to cover his funeral expenses.

Figueroa, one of two people killed in the incident, will be laid to rest Tuesday.

Figueroa, 23, was on a date at Sushi Park at 121 Second Avenue between East 7th Street and St. Mark’s Place when an explosion, believed to be caused by an illegal gas diversion, ripped through the building.

The blast also killed Moises Locon, who worked as a busboy at the restaurant, and leveled two nearby buildings.

Figueroa’s funeral is set for 10 a.m. at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus at 207 West 96th Street.

Rescue crews recovered both Figueroa and Locon’s bodies last Sunday. Locon was identified later in the week.

In the days following the explosion and fire, the Figueroa family had kept a vigil close to the barricades that police had set up on Second Avenue at St. Mark’s Place. There they prayed andshouted words of encouragement to first responders and threw white flowers into the street.

Unable to pay for his funeral, Figueroa’s family started a crowdfunding campaign for expenses. By Monday afternoon, more than $27,300 of the $30,000 requested had been raised by GoFundMe donations.