Africa-Press – Liberia. A devastating fire incident in Ganta has claimed the lives of four individuals, including a 10-month-old baby and an elderly woman.
The fire broke out in the early morning hours of July 7, and despite the efforts of neighbors and the Liberia National Police to quench it, the victims were burned beyond recognition as they remained trapped in the three-bedroom house, eyewitnesses claimed.
The deceased have been identified as Sam Kermue, his wife Ruth Koffah Kermue, their 10-month-old daughter Samata Kermue, and the mother of Ruth.
Kermue had recently returned from the United States and had planned to spend time with his family before meeting his untimely demise.
Tragically, Kermue had just returned to Liberia from the United States two days prior to the incident, intending to spend time with his family. Instead, he met an untimely demise.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. According to eyewitnesses, the fire, which started at 2 a.m., was so violent that rescue efforts proved impossible, leaving Kermue and his family trapped indoors and unable to escape.
“Why couldn’t God save this family for the sake of this old lady?” wondered Daniel Bonah, a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Ganta.
“This old man was so dedicated to serving God, she was very active in all the activities of the church since I started knowing her in 1987,” he added.
“She was a very dedicated church-woman,” Ruth Zensi, the head of Hope for the Nation, Liberia, noted.
Kermue’s wife, who is reported to have graduated from Cuttington University in Bong County, has been married to him for approximately two years.
Ruth Kermue and her 10-month-old daughter’s remains were found in the couple’s bathroom — indicating that she might have been trying to escape. Tragically, they may have been unable to make it out in time.
The fire outbreaks in Ganta, which have become common — leave homes and businesses ravaging — as there is no fire service station to handle such emergencies.
Ganta is a bustling commercial city with a growing population of more than 100,000 people. In 2017, an Indian Dentist assigned to the Ganta United Methodist Hospital died in a fire in his apartment at the hospital compound, despite efforts by bystanders to rescue him.
Another fire incident on the Main Street of Ganta left several stores burned, and, a few months ago, an apartment was gutted and burned to ashes.
However, the tragic fire incident at Kermue’s residence is the first that has resulted in too many lives lost in the last 10 years to a fire outbreak.
The incident has left many calling on the government to improve the fire services across the country, especially in Ganta, to prevent such devastating incidents from occurring again.
Prince Howard, a prominent businessman in Ganta, emphasized the urgent need for a modern fire service to protect the city’s growing population.
“This city needs modern fire service to contain some of these fire incidents, or we will all perish to death by fire one day,” Howard said.
Others are of the opinion that the standard of housing in Ganta needs to be updated to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.
“This house is very low, making the smoke kill before the fire can even touch the occupants,” said some of the onlookers.
The gutted house was built with dirt bricks and contained about 13 courses, or 10 to 11 feet high. Most houses in Ganta are built with dirt bricks, have a low ceiling, and have limited ventilation.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating the cause of the fire, and the bodies of the victims have been handed over to their relatives for burial.
The remains of the late Kermue, a citizen of Bong County, along with those of his wife and baby daughter were all placed in a single casket and taken to Bong County onboard a vehicle belonging to Nimba Inspector Mark Gblinwon for burial, while the in-law was taken to Rehab Cemetery in Ganta for burial by family.
The incident left only two survivors. The two girls who were serving a punishment had been locked in a drug store attached to the house, which was fortunately untouched by the fire. A dog also survived the incident.
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