-Community leader makes SOS call for help for Survivors
As the Liberia National Fire Service has only one operational fire truck, homes and other areas continue to be gutted by fire, with the latest disaster claiming four lives in the early hours of Thursday.
Tears flowed from the eyes of community residents, by-passers as they saw the remains of four residents of the Pago Island Community in Congo Town lied lifeless in a burnt structure.
Four other persons sustained injuries.
The residents gathered in their numbers, with some holding their heads and breast, as tears ran down their faces.
In an interview with the Community Chairperson of the area, Mr. Yallah P. Mulbah said: “it was very late when we heard cries from out neighbors’ house, they were crying help us fire, fire.”
According to the Community chairperson, the blaze and sound of the fire was heard very loud in his ears, as they lives very close to the neighbors who house was gutted by fire.
According to him, there were eight occupants of the home that gutted fire, but they as community residents, they could only help rescue the lives of four person.
“ The survivours told us that one of the persons who left in the fire was to one who started alarming that fire was in the house so, when they woke up and ran to the living room, the area was covered by fire,” the community chair quoted one of them as saying.
According to Mr. Mulbah, the only means they used to save the four survivals was to break through the bathroom of the parents of the home thus saving the four people who narrowly survived the early Thursday morning disaster.
When he was asked wither the fire was caused by the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) current, the Community chairperson further said, “we are yet to know what caused of the fire, since one week ago now, we do not have current and they people said that they do not use candles in their house because of the fear of fire outbreak.”
“This death is very saddened to me as a community chair and a close neighbor to these people. Most of the often, I spend time in this particular home, eat here, we are very close,” he said in a sad mood as he tried to fight back the tears.
“Just last night these people went for revival and returned by 1 pm, had devotion only for use to be talking about their death is very sad.”
Mr. Mulbah expressed disappointment that all calls made to the Liberia Fire Service did not get any positive result as authorities they complained of the lack of fuel (gasoline) to make any move.
The Community chairperson used to interview to call on philanthropic organizations to help the survivals adding, “The people did not take anything from their home.” Report by Mark Mengonfia