By Mariama Njie & Yusupha Jobe
More than seventy-two stalls were burned to ashes in a Brikama market fire incidence which occurred Monday night. The fire outbreak destroyed many parts of the market, while the cause is yet to be known but it is believed to have started at around midnight.
Brikama market is the largest in West Coast Region and one of the busiest in the country that attracts some thousands of people daily for both businesses and shopping.
Salieu Jallow a victim, said: “I have lost more than D30,000 I just arrived here this morning and realized that my shop was burnt down and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”
He expressed that fire outbreak is becoming a culture in the country, that government should investigate the cause and find solution to it once and for all.
Ebrima Touray, another victims stated that he was called by his brother on telephone to inform him of the incident when he already arrived in Serrekunda.
He explained that upon his arrival at the scene that midnight he already found his shop razed to ashes with heavy flame.
“It is very shocking and devastating as people who are trying to struggle for a living with their family only to face a huge destruction of their properties through fire that its origin is not yet known. I was called by my brother who informed me of the incident. We have all our shops and stalls destroyed. The amount of financial destruction experienced today cannot be estimated,” he said.
He expressed their disappointment on government and the Brikama Fire Rescue Service who did not respond to the scene on time despite some distress calls to them by the residents of Brikama.
“One could not believe seeing your shop being gradually consumed by fire without the intervention of fire fighters. There is nothing we can do as we have no means to quell the fire,” he added.
Sulayman Jah also a victim of the fire incidence said the fire outbreak might be a result of dirt within the market. He said the extent of dirt and rubbish litters in the market may contribute to the fire incident.
Spokesman of Gambia Fire and Rescue Service, Pateh Gibba, told The Voice that like any other fire incident, this one was of course devastating because they could not attend tovthe scene because they lacked some fire fighting appliance.
“The fire appliance belonging to Brikama is not in order. It’s an old fire engine, it could not move so we had to call Serrekunda to intervene. And Serrekunda drove all the way from Kanifing Municipal Council to West Coast Region,” he explained.
According to him, “Kotu was also called and they were able to quench the fire. The cause and extent of the damage is under investigation.”
