At least six thatched houses have been ravaged by an inferno at Futti Village, Sami District, Central River Region on Sunday February 7th, 2021.
According to eyewitnesses the incident occurred around 3pm when villagers noticed huge smokes emanating from the compound of Ousman Baldeh.
Witnesses who spoke to this medium disclosed that the inferno ravages six hut in the compound including the houses of Foday and Jelel Baldeh both brothers to Ousman.
They could not ascertain the causes of the fire but alleging that it could have emanated from electric spark.
Gibril Dem, a native of the village laments the difficulties of the Baldeh families, narrating that everything belonging to the household was consumed by the inferno leaving the families in desperate situation.
Dem blamed the Fire and Rescue Services at Bansang for the failure for not able to put off the fire which subsequent consumed BaldehKunda, while alleging that the fire fighters were very late in responding to the calls from the village.
According to him, the firefighters arrived after the inferno was contained with the help of neighbouring villagers whose only source of water is through the wells. He added that lacks of water at the village also makes the quelling of the fire difficult.
“I fell very sad for what had happened in the compound of Ousman. It’s very sad that a lot of foodstuffs, seed nuts, and household materials including beds, chairs, clothes and linens were destroyed,” said Alien Sowe, AlkaloFittu Fula Village.
The Alkalo expressed frustrations over the lacks of a fire station in the entire Central River Region (CRR) North of the country. He said lacks of a fire station in the region left residents at the mercy of such disasters.
He called on the Kuntaur Area Council and government of the country to provide water supply to the village, as he disclosed that the village solely depends on only one well for both drinking and domestic work.
“Our main problem for inability to quell the recent inferno was as a result of lacks of water in the village. If the authorities can help us with water many lives and livelihoods would be safe in this area,” Alkalo Alien Sowe disclosed.