Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Several traders in Aweil West County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state are counting losses after a fire outbreak destroyed shops at Marol Akhon Market on Tuesday morning.
According to one of the traders, Bol Mathiang, who spoke to Eye Radio, the fire outbreak occurred at around 7 a.m. on the eastern side of the market known as Majok Acap.
He said the blaze caused significant damage, affecting as many as seven shops in the market.
As a result, two South Sudanese traders lost their goods worth 20 million South Sudanese pounds to the fire.
According to him, the fire was first spotted at the top of the roof before it spread, limiting the damage to the few shops.
No casualties have been reported.
When contacted, the public relations officer in the police of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Captain Guot Akol confirmed the incident.
“This (Tuesday) morning at around 7 a.m., a fire broke out in Aweil West County of Nyamllel area in Marol Akhon , and in this fire, there was material loss to the goods but no loss of life to a citizen.
He told Eye Radio, the police are investigating the cause of the fire.
“The police are now investigating the circumstances that led to the fire, but there is no evidence that leads to linking the fire to anyone.
“The fire was extinguished, and the police are investigating because there is a lot of damage to the citizens’ property.”
This incident is not the first of its kind in Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
There have been several reports of fire outbreaks in the state since 2024, claiming the lives of children.
In November last year, a child died in a fire, bringing to four the number of children killed in similar fire incidents.
In May same year, authorities in Aweil County reported that a nine-month-old baby had burned to death after the house he was sleeping in caught fire.
And in February this year, two siblings were burned to death in Mangok Payam in Aweil East.
In the following month, two other siblings were burned to death in Panthou area.
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