Bushrold Island – At least eight people are reported injured after a wall protecting the Lebanese owned Mono Prix warehouse fell on houses in a tiny Bushrod Island Community in Monrovia on Friday, August 17.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the fence, housing the warehouse at the old Fishco compound next to the LIPFOCO company in the Logan Town area, fell on the houses around 8:00 AM local time.
“I heard a heavy bang this morning and when I ran outside I heard people steaming for help under the rubble of the fallen,” Theo Kun, 26, recounted as he explains to journalists.
“The people were crying as the men in the community rushed to pull them from under the zinc and blocks.”
“I got a call that my mother and smaller brother were affected by what happened early this morning,” added Edmond Daddybiy Sherman.
“I rushed here and saw my mother and brother badly hurt. I then went over to the management of Mono Prix to explain what had happened,” Sherman further informed reporters.
“But as I explained to the management; their accountant called Hawa asked me what she had to do when a falls on people?”
Several residents have claimed that the management of Mono Prix is insensitive to the plight of the families affected by the collapse of the fence.
When contacted, the man claiming to be the Manager of the Mono Prix compound, Mohammed Mada, said his company is not at fault for the incident.
“The people built their houses under our fence and what happened is an accident. Can anyone be blamed for an accident?” Mada asked journalists.
He, however, said they were making humanitarian intervention by taking the victims to the clinic.
“Through our insurance company, we took those injured to the Mawah clinic in Vai Town,” Mada added.
But a long time resident of the community, which sits between the Mesurado Compound and the Mono Prix compound, Francis Boye dismissed claims that their houses were built under the fence.
“We had our houses here before they constructed the fence,” Boye said. “We advised them that the fence was being constructed close to our homes but they did not listen. Now see what has happened? “
The police came to the scene based on calls from the community residents and have launched an investigation. Details of the investigation are unknown, however; the residents are calling on the relevant government authority to speedily intervened.