By Yunus S Saliu
A first fire incident occurred at midday of Tuesday, 5th January, 2021 at Janjang Road, Bamboo in Serrekunda has consumed a bungalow belong to Alhaji Safi Debbasey among and wrecked all tenants and show owners in the building back to square one.
The burnt building consist over six apartments inside with over eight shops outside rented to different businessmen and women, which among belong to ID Enterprises (electronic shop), Ndow Forex Business, Jais Financial Bureau De Change, Bookshop, restaurant among others.
According to Alhaji Safi Debbasey, the landlord of the compound confirmed that the fire was caused by electricity.
He said every item in the house was burnt down by the inferno while the shop owners all lost their items.
Alhaji Debbasey said, apart from what the shop owners has lost, the cash of D60,000, $15,000 and €10,000 were consumed by the fire incident.
Idowu Semiu Odetogun owner of ID Enterprises said over D400,000.00 worth of goods and cash have perished in the fire incident.
He went on that it was a bad day for him as he newly brought some electronic items to fill the shop prior the New Year celebration.
Some bystanders and sympathizers complained of late response from the Serekunda Gambia Fire Rescue Service as they appeared at the scene of the incident without water.
However one among the bystanders who spoke anonymity straighten the complaint that “the Fire Rescue Service came with water but late, so people didn’t give them chance to do their work as they were throwing stones on them. Then they left, until another fire service now came from Bakau to put off the fire.”