The cause of the fire was as a result of a candle light which one of the residents forgot to put out in her room before she headed for bed.
Compound owner, Muhammed Sumbundu while confirming the incident told The Standard yesterday: “I stepped out of the house and I came back around 12am. I pack ed my bicycle outside and while I was going to my house, I saw fire inside one of the apartments. I rushed there to open the door but I could not open it because the door was locked. I decided to break the window where I saw the woman of the house sleeping on her bed with her son while the fire had started to spread. I shouted at her to let her know that her house was on fire. She woke up quickly and gave her son to me through the window. She rushed to open her door but before she could open it, the fire had burnt all her body. Thank God she is alive.
“I screamed for help and our neighbours who came to the scene could be seen in desperate attempts to put out the fire. While the neighbours were busy fighting the fire, I took the woman to the Jammeh Foundation for Peace Hospital. She was later referred to Edwards Franchise Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul for treatment. We contacted officials of the fire and rescue services who deployed two fire tankers but before they reached, my entire house was burnt down to asses. I lost all my money and property to the fire. If I hadn’t arrived early, all my family would have died in the fire because they were all sleeping. The loss is unquantifiable and serious.”
On his part, Mamadou Bah whose shop is attached to the compound, commented: “We understand that the woman who was burnt by the fire had lit a candle in her house and went to bed without putting it out. That was what caused the fire. Half of my shop was burnt and I don’t know the amount of money that has perished in the fire. I lost my freezer and my wife also lost all her clothes, our bed and other material.”
Other residents of the compound who spoke to The Standard all sent a save-our –soul message to the government, individuals and donor agencies to come their aid.
]]>
