Margibi – A devastating fire consumed a three-bedroom house in the Jambo Village Community early Thursday afternoon, leaving the victims homeless.
The blaze erupted around 1 PM, rapidly engulfing the property and reducing it to ashes. All materials and belongings inside the house were destroyed.
In an exclusive interview with Verity Online News, Madam Hannah Harris, the owner of the house, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of her property. She explained that she and her children had left the house early in the morning to attend to their business at the general market. The children later returned home to prepare for choir practice.
“I cut off the LEC breaker before going to the market,” Madam Harris stated, but she did not confirm whether her children had turned the electricity back on upon their return.
The house, comprising three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and various other amenities, was completely destroyed. During the interview, Madam Harris could not specify what might have caused the devastating fire.
“We all went to the road there to sell, but then later the children say they were coming home to prepare for choir practice because this coming Sunday will be their program, so they were coming to the church. But also they needed to change their clothes, so they went there and change their clothes. Since it happened, I haven’t seen them yet, but people say they were inside,” she recounted.
Madam Harris also revealed that approximately L$260,000 (about USD 1,400) intended for business purposes was lost in the fire. She had borrowed the money from BRAC-Liberia, a local organization aimed at empowering Liberian women, and expressed major concern over repaying the debt.
“The money that burned, I credited it from BRAC-Liberia to sell and pay their money back, but I don’t know how I will manage now that the money has burned in my hands,” she lamented.
She also voiced serious worries about her family’s living conditions during the rainy season. “With the house burned, I don’t know where my children and I will sleep in this rainy season,” she said.
Madam Harris is appealing to humanitarians and philanthropists to assist her family during this difficult time.
Community dwellers responded promptly to the incident, managing to contain the fire before it could spread to neighboring homes. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities, as the occupants were not present at the time of the fire.
The community has expressed deep sympathy for the affected family, who have lost their home and possessions. The fire incident has sparked a serious public outcry in Margibi County, with residents calling on the Fire Service Department to address such emergencies more swiftly in the future.
By Stanley K. Johnson, Correspondent
