PAYNESVILLE – In the early hours of Friday morning, tragedy struck Zeon Town Community in Paynesville when fire completely destroyed the three-bedroom home of Madam Kortu Kollie, a local businesswoman.
By Siaway T. Miapue
Neighbors believe the fire was caused by an electric shock from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), whose unstable power supply, they say, has been a longstanding problem in the area.
No one was inside the house at the time of the incident. However, by the time neighbors noticed the flames, it was already too late to save anything. Residents who attempted to help could do nothing as the fire had swiftly consumed the entire structure.
Compounding the tragedy, the community’s narrow and damaged alleys made it impossible for fire trucks or any emergency vehicles to reach the scene. Residents say this is not the first time poor road infrastructure has worsened the impact of emergencies in Zeon Town.
For Madam Kollie, the loss is devastating on multiple fronts. Just a day before the fire, she had secured a loan of more than 400,000 Liberian Dollars to expand her small business. All of that, along with her household belongings and her source of income, went up in flames.
“I don’t even know where to start from now,” Madam Kollie told FrontPage Africa as she stood staring at the ruins of what was once her home. “Everything I worked for, everything I just borrowed to grow my business, is gone. My children and I have nowhere to.”
Her sister, Deborah Ben, did not hide her frustration, blaming the Liberia Electricity Corporation for the tragedy. “LEC is always bringing current and taking it abruptly. This is not the first time people’s properties have been damaged because of their poor service,” she said.
As the fire began to subside, community members led by Chockon Agogo searched through the ashes in hopes of recovering anything valuable. Their efforts were not in vain; they managed to retrieve about 110,000 Liberian Dollars from the burnt remains.
“We could not just sit and see our neighbor lose everything. That’s why we started searching,” said Agogo.
Lansanna Conteh, chairman of Zeon Town Community, blamed the lack of proper road infrastructure for the situation worsening. He said the inability of the fire service to reach the burning house should serve as a wake-up call to government and local authorities. “The government needs to prioritize fixing our roads and decentralizing the fire services. Our alleys are blocked and vehicles can’t pass. This will continue to happen if nothing is done,” he warned.
Madam Kortu Kollie is now appealing to the public, humanitarian organizations, and anyone with goodwill to help her rebuild her life.
“I need help. If anyone can help my family and I with anything, we will really appreciate,” she said tearfully.
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