PHOTO: Some of the house occupants in deep shock as they arrive on the scene
By J. Peter S. Dennis, dennisrealone@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- A fire outbreak has left families homeless, after a five-bedroom house was destroyed in the central Bong County, 165 kilometers from Monrovia.
The cause of the fire is yet to be fully established by its inhabitants. The unfortunate situation occurred Christmas eve on December 24, 2021 on the Kokoya road in electoral district#2.
It also left five families homeless as the festive Christmas celebration set in, with many ot the fire victims seen in tears and agony.
The fire is said to have started around 10:00Am, when most of the occupants returned home, after they had earlier left for their respective place of work and other activities.
By the time most of them arrived on the scene, the entire house had already been engulfed by the blaze and the building has partially collapsed.
But the victims, together with the firefighting crew, managed to extinguish the fire, but that was not enough to save their belongings and the house.
Speaking to our reporter during the unfortunate situation, one of the victims, Miss Christina Sokahn said, she couldn’t believe the incident instantly as it seems as a dream, considering that she left the house in few hours without anything lighted, but was surprised to receive calls that their house was on fire.
“I am a single parent who hail from Maryland County and have traveled to Gbarnga just to seek the welfare of my daughter and I. We don’t have any relative in Gbarnga, so I am now hopeless, this is so hard to accept,” she said in tears.
According to Miss. Sokahn, she had over eighty thousand Liberian Dollars (80,000.00LD) in the house, an amount she has received from her susu club, following months of savings but noted that said fund has completely burn into ashes.
“We are approaching New Year, schools are about to resume, and house has burned, I don’t know what to do now. Don’t even know my next starting point in life. My daughter clothes including mine- all got lost in the fire,” the female fire victim explained.
Mr. Morris Binda, a motorcyclist and also a tenant of the burnt out house, told ournalists that he lost his brand new motorcycle in the Christmas eve fire.
According to him, he had just purchased the bike a few weeks ago, in order to bolster his earnings as he strived to cater to his four (4) kids and his girlfriend.
He also told Journalists that he left his bike and went to visit a friend nearby.
“We can’t even light fire in the house. In fact the time it happened, there was no in the yard or the house. No one can tell the exact destination of the fire” he said.
“This is a serious frustration and setback,” Mr. Bind said looking visibly distressed.
Meanwhile, the victims of the Gbarnga fire victims have launched a passionate appeal for assistance including the National Disaster Management Agency of Liberia; as they are currently taking refuge in the homes of some neighbors.
They appealed for zincs, nails, planks, ceilings, cash, among others as essential to the rebuilding of their home.
They can be reached on mobile phone #s: +231880062812/+231779199524
The Christmas eve fire is the second in Gbarnga in less than one month, On November 27, 2021, fire also destroyed a two-bedroom apartment in this central city.
Up to press time, the occupants of that property are still homeless, thus seeking help from community members.
According to community dwellers, that fire disaster was believed to have started when the grandson of the apartment owner (only identified as Ma Ton) was playing with fire in the kitchen early that morning while warming his food.
The boy is said to be four years of age. The boy had earlier attempted putting the house ablaze when he lighted his grandmother’s bedsheet. She quashed it, although she reportedly flogged him.