Africa-Press – Liberia. A tragic fire incident occurred on Duport Road, resulting in the loss of a family of five on Wednesday, February 21. The fire, reportedly started by a candle, engulfed the apartment where the victims lived near the Charles Sirleaf guesthouse. Despite efforts from community members to extinguish the fire using sand and water, the blaze proved too intense to control.
Eyewitnesses described the chaotic scene, with neighbors attempting to assist but facing challenges due to the lack of immediate firefighting resources.
The Liberia Fire Service was unable to respond promptly, as all their trucks were reportedly out of service at the time of the incident.
The eyewitnesses said the incident began at around 12am when they saw heavy dark smoke from the apartment where the deceased lived. “Fire, my people y’all come ooo,” Elijah Korpue said he became raising alarm. “We immediately contacted the Liberia Fire Service, but they told us that all their trucks were down. So people brought water from their homes to help cut the fire off the fire, but it was so heavy.”
Kourpue, who lived opposite the deceased’s home, noted that community members came out with sand and water to put the fire off, but still to no avail. “We really tried our best, but no way. People were throwing sand in the fire, others brought water but still the fire was too much.”
The house consists of four separate apartments. The deceased lived in one of them with her four children.
Residents in the area recounted the harrowing events, with one tenant recalling how the deceased alerted them to the fire before tragically perishing along with her children in the blaze.
“She [deceased] was the one who woke us up, shouting that fire was in the house. We came out and met her door open,” said Mary Tweh, one of the tenants. “All we thought she was outside since she called us, and when we came out we met her door open so we thought so she left.”
According to Mary, she and the rest of the tenants left, and went out for rescue, while they were out, they noticed the deceased was not among them. “We started asking for them. “When we came back to check at that time the fire was too much, the community people were trying to put it off.”
They went in the bathroom.”
She blamed’’ the Liberia National Fire Service, which is responsible for responding to fire disaster failure to help them off the fire.
But the Liberia National Fire Service has over time complained about limited logistics and manpower to enable them to perform their task effectively. Some time ago, the House of Representatives considered allocating funds in the 2024 budget to purchase a fire truck for Paynesville and potentially additional fire trucks for other cities.
The devastating loss underscores the urgent need for improved fire safety measures and emergency response capabilities in the region. In response to past fire incidents in the area and other parts of Paynesville, Montserrado County District #4 Representative, Michael Thomas, has advocated for allocating funds in the 2024 budget to procure a fire truck for Paynesville and potentially enhance firefighting resources in other areas. This call for improved fire prevention and response infrastructure aims to prevent similar tragedies and protect the community from future disasters.
“My request is in response to recent fire outbreaks causing significant damage in the city,” Thomas said in a communication sent to the House’s Plenary through the office of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. The communication was read and discussed on Thursday, February 15.
According to Thomas, who is the House’s Committee Chairon Judiciary, his communication is a result of the recent fire outbreak across the country, especially in the City of Paynesville, that has caused unbearable setbacks to citizens.
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