|
|
 |
 |
by NANCY DILLON, AUSTIN FENNER and DAVE GOLDINER
A vent left covered by sloppy construction workers unleashed the deadly carbon monoxide cloud that stole the breath of a popular Albanian singer, her 8-year-old daughter and mother in their Staten Island home yesterday, authorities said.
There also was no carbon monoxide detector to wake up Anita Bitri, 36, her 66-year-old mother, Azbije, and daughter, Sibora Prapaniku, who were tragically killed in their sleep by the invisible, odorless gas.
"We lost a good friend, a great artist and a good Albanian," Gani Blakaj, 47, of the Bronx, said of Bitri, a dark-haired beauty who was known as the Celine Dion of her Balkan homeland.
Firefighters said workers installing a concrete deck blocked exhaust vents for the boiler with plastic sheeting, sending poison gas spewing through the home on Ocean Ave. in South Beach.
Investigators were hunting last night for the contractor who did the shoddy work, said Chief Fire Marshal Louis Garcia.
The deadly gas spiked to a frightening 70 times acceptable levels in the second-floor room where the victims were found.
"At those numbers, a few breaths and you could be unconscious," said Chief Thomas Haring, the FDNY's borough commander for Staten Island. "Carbon monoxide is silent, but it is deadly."
A new city law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in every home goes into effect on Nov. 1. But Bitri's home was not equipped with the lifesaving devices.
A boyfriend found the bodies when he arrived at the house around 8:40 a.m. and called 911.
Word of the tragedy quickly spread through the tight-knit Albanian community, where dozens of musicians played with Bitri since she arrived in the U.S. eight years ago.
"I never dreamed this would happen," said Enghellushe Hassan Beliu, 63, an aunt.
Musicians and friends recalled her as a tireless singer who drew huge crowds in her homeland.
Despite her fame, Bitri was a down-to-earth figure who stopped by for coffee with workers at the Albanian-owned Video Ulqini on Victory Blvd.
Yesterday, fans were snapping up hard-to-find cassettes and videos featuring traditional Albanian folk and pop songs.
"She was a wonderful, wonderful woman, a beautiful singer," said Edmund Xhani, 48, who played in Bitri's band. "She was my best friend."
Keyboardist Vaid Hajdaraj gasped in disbelief when told about the sudden death of Bitri, whom he played with just last weekend.
One of her most popular tunes was "Mos U Nxito, Mos U Gabo," or "Don't Listen, Don't Make a Mistake."
"It's a huge loss for our whole community," said Dervish Jahjaga, editor of Bota Sot, a New York-based Albanian newspaper.
James Avatar, a producer with the indie music company Brooklyn Media Lab, said he was blown away by Bitri's talent and just finished a two-CD release.
"We're talking about a woman with incredible energy," Avatar said. "She was vibrant and she had so much talent."
Neighbors said Bitri was renovating the pink stucco home and brought her mother from Albania to care for her daughter, whose father recently died from cancer.
Sibora Prapaniku, a second-grader, was a budding performer herself and played piano and danced ballet at Public School 39.
"She was a beautiful girl, very talented," said Vebi Ispahiu, 43, whose son, Agim, was a classmate of Sibora.
With Lisa Fleisher and Michele McPhee
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
