By: Mariama Njie
At least thirteen shops have been burnt down to ashes at Serrekunda market last night. The cause of the fire is yet to be established.
In an interview with Alpha Omar Bah, an eye witness said “the fire started yesterday around 12mid night I was in my shop painting and all over a sudden I heard people shouting ‘fire’ that’s how I rush out from my shop.”
“I went to the nearest houses knocking on them to wake up as a result of the tragedy,” adding that the fire service came to the scene but did not do their job as needed.
Ebrima Jallow, a victim said he was told that the fire started at the backyard of the market was rusted metals and rubbish are packed.
“I received a phone call last night that our shops caught fire, before I arrived at the scene everything was burnt”, he explained.
He also added that every two year there is always a fire tragedy in Serrekunda market.
“I can’t really tell what the cause is whether is cause by Jinx or not only god knows”, he said.
Salieu Jallow said he has lost more than 30,000 saying “I don’t have much to say because I arrived here in the morning and realize that my shop was burnt down and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”
Sulayman Jah urged vendors at Serrekunda to keep the market clean adding that the amount of dirt and rubbish litters in market contribute to the fire incidents, adding “the victims too cried out to the Major of KMC to come to their aid, saying that’s where they earn their living.”
