By Mustapha Jarju
At least D500,000.00 including materials got burnt after a shop selling fuel in Brikama caught fire over the weekend.
“They have lost more than three hundred thousand dalasi in which everything in the shop was consumed by the fire and nothing came out of the shop.
“We were in the video club watching football match at around 15:00 hours when the incident started we were called by neighbors, I was so traumatized and couldn’t do anything as the fire was beyond control,” an eyewitness told The Voice.
According to the eyewitness, the shop was selling barrel of gas oil and fuel but everything in the shop had been burnt by the fire
Another eyewitness, Mr.Touray, who owns a Cosmetic shop near the affected shop, explained that they were sitting at the veranda of his shop brewing ‘Ataya’ and his brother`s wife called him informing him that, there is smoke coming out from their neighbor`s shop, “this was when I started running to put down the fire, as we opened the door of the shop the fire was too much.”
“We cannot say the exact cause of the fire no one was inside the shop during the incident but they have suspected that it could be caused by electricity.
“The fire catches a Gas container which fly to my shop and exploded in my shop which cause the fire in my shop said Touray,” he said.
Modou Cham also a shop owner and a victim of the fire said: “the incident happened around 2pm to 3pm when I was about to go to Serekunda to buy some materials.”
“I lost five mattresses which each cost two thousand dalasi each, which is ten thousand dalasi (D10,000), also he said he lost twenty-seven chairs, each costing three hundred dalasi (D300), total amount chairs burnt in value costs eight thousand one hundred dalasi, (D8100).
“A total amount of seventy-five thousand dalasi kept in his shop at an area not affected by the fire was stolen during the struggle to put down the fire, and two other mart phones with value of each costing four thousand dalasi were stole from his shop during the incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is calling on people to help report any individual involved in illegal fuel trade amidst the rise in fire outbreak resulting from illegal fuel vending.
The regulatory body’s call comes after the Brikama fire incident just near the Petro Gas petrol station, which led to destruction of properties in the vicinity, but no casualty has been reported yet.
The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority – PURA implores on the public to report any individual involved in illegal fuel trade amidst the rise in fire outbreak resulting from illegal fuel vending.
“The public is therefore cautioned to refrain from this illegal trade, especially in residential areas, because its consequences are fatal. Anyone caught in this clandestinely illicit business will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“Similarly, PURA calls on the property owners to support the Authority in this crusade for the greater good of the public, by not renting out stalls for such businesses or disallow their furtive operations in their residences,” PURA said in a statement.
“We solicit the unwavering support and cooperation of the public, especially landlords and Alkalos to report anybody suspected of storing dangerous petroleum in domestic premises or residences to call 148 (free line) to report to PURA,” it added.