A wave of sorrow has swept through the New Matadi Don Bosco Community following a heartbreaking fire incident that claimed the lives of four children during the early hours of Thursday morning.
According to eyewitnesses, the blaze erupted around 1:00 a.m., engulfing a zinc roundhouse containing four bedrooms. The fire reportedly spread rapidly, leaving the occupants trapped with little chance of escape.
“The children were sleeping when the fire started. By the time we noticed, the whole house was already burning,” one resident tearfully recounted.
While the Liberia National Fire Service is said to have responded promptly to the distress call, community members allege that poor road conditions hindered the firefighters from reaching the scene in time. “The fire truck came, but they couldn’t get in, the road to the house is too bad,” another eyewitness said.
The exact cause of the fire has not been officially determined, but some residents suspect it may have been ignited by a mosquito coil left unattended during the night, a common but often risky method used to repel insects in many Liberian homes.
Authorities have yet to release the names or ages of the victims, but neighbors described the children as siblings from the same household.
As investigations continue, grief hangs heavy over the community, with residents calling for better road infrastructure and increased public awareness on fire safety measures.
“We need help. This kind of tragedy should never happen again,” one resident lamented.
This incident marks yet another tragic reminder of the vulnerability of many Liberian communities to fire outbreaks, particularly in densely populated and poorly accessible neighborhoods.
