Sanniquellie, Nimba County – Several residents of Sanniquellie, Nimba County have been left homeless after a fire broke out on Tuesday night, destroying several business facilities.
By Franklin Doloquee/Nimba County
The blaze, which started around 11 PM, affected more than five business centers in Sanniquellie. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but some victims reported seeing the flames coming from behind the affected area.
Speaking to reporters, Marvis S. Geepea, one of the victims, said he was in front of his shop selling goods when people across the street alerted him about the fire. “I couldn’t retrieve anything from my business area,” Geepea said, estimating his losses at over US$8,000 in goods and cash.
Other victims, who live far from their business locations, were not around when the fire occurred. They lock up their shops and return home in the evenings.
The victims criticized the response of the local fire service, stating that the newly donated fire truck from businessman Floyd Tomah Sr. did not have enough water to extinguish the fire. “The fire truck had to leave in search of water, which took more than an hour to return. By the time they came back, the fire had already destroyed over five business centers along Sanniquellie’s main street,” one victim complained.
Nimba County Commander of the Liberia National Fire Service, Terry Mehn, said his team managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other business facilities, including two gas stations.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation in Sanniquellie refused to supply water to assist the fire service in their rescue efforts.
Just days ago, several business facilities in Ganta were also destroyed by fire. The business owners blamed the incident on cross-border electricity controlled by Jungle Energy Power (JEP), which is also headed by Floyd Tomah Sr. However, Zawolo Bamakpah, the communication officer for JEP, denied the company’s involvement in the Ganta fire incident.
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