A fundraiser for the family behind the Chinese restaurant Main Moon in Tucker, whose matriarch was killed in a kitchen explosion Tuesday afternoon, has raised more than $17,000 just hours after being launched.

Mei Ying Chen died after a large pressure cooker exploded in the small takeout restaurant’s kitchen. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her identity Friday.

“On May 11, 2021, the family of Main Moon Chinese Restaurant was shattered,” a Main Moon customer wrote in a GoFundMe page set up in Chen’s honor. The fundraiser’s description details the costs now faced by the Chen family, including the funeral and lost income while they make repairs to the kitchen.

According to the GoFundMe page, the family plans to reopen the restaurant.

The fundraiser, which was launched around 10 a.m. Friday, topped its $15,000 goal within a few hours.

“It is my sincere wish that I will increase the amount requested to match the amounts given,” the customer who started the fundraiser said. “100% of the funds raised, less the GoFundMe fees, will go directly to the family; no money is for myself.”

The Tucker community has rallied around the restaurant, including a stream of customers stopping by the Main Moon storefront to leave flowers and condolence cards.

According to the GoFundMe page, the family is hoping to hold a funeral on Monday, May 24. There are several other Main Moon restaurants in Georgia owned by relatives of the Tucker family, and those are typically closed on Mondays.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

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