By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Just few months ago, many people were made homeless from a fire disaster here in the central Bong County, and now a popular business center has been gutted by fire.
The Shop, Stop and See Business Center was struck by the blaze at the weekend.
According to its proprietor, David Gayflor, he can’t really trace the cause of the fire.
“I can’t tell where the fire stated. While sleeping, I began inhaling smoke but was confused and decided to check out; that was when the fire escalated, leaving me to run outside shouting for help,” Mr. Gayflor explained.
He says the fire engulfed the shop a day after he had stocked his business center with goods worth over twenty thousand United States dollars.
Mr. Gayflor placed the overall value of the center to over twenty five thousand United States dollars (25,000USD).
“I have lost all that I worked for over the years, over USD 25,000, I don’t know where to start from,” Mr. Gayflor explained.
According to the young Liberian entrepreneur, he was involved with the wholesale of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages including consumable items.
According to him, not a single personnel of the Liberia Fire Service that collect thousands of dollars from business owners showed up upon being contacted from the onset of the disaster.
No official from the Liberia Fire Service Agency in the county has accepted an interview for clarity.
Meanwhile, Mr. David Gayflor is calling on goodwill individuals and philanthropists for assistance to rebuild his shop.
He says, if no one identifies with him, he foresees destitution.
The cause of the fire has not been established.
In a related development, electoral district#3 representative Josiah Marvin Cole has made available three hundred thousand Liberian Dollars (LD 300,000) and fifty bags of cement as an initial contribution to the reconstruction of the business center.