At least 36 shops at Pibor market in Pibor Administrative Areas of South Sudan have been reduced to ashes after a sudden blaze.
The town Mayor John Gayn, Pibor in an exclusive interview with this publication on Monday disclosed that goods worth millions of South Sudanese Pounds have been lost as a result of the blaze which gutted the market ostensibly from a solar system.
“36 shops with all the merchandise in them have been reduced to ashes by fire which began when a solar battery blasted in one of the shops and fire immediately caught curtains and then it spread uncontrollably to other shops,” the mayor said.
Mayor Gayn revealed that when the flames in the market woke them up at around 2.00 am, they quickly went there and found that four of the shops were already in debris and several others were also already alight.
“The fire outbreak started last night at around 2:00 am and we were woken up by fire flames but no sooner had we reached the scene than we found four of the shops were in complete wreckage,” said Gayn.
The blaze was brought under control due to concerted efforts by traders and residents who swung into action to end the fire which was threatening more havoc in the market, this publication understood.
Several traders whose shops were reduced to nothing and had a chat with this website blamed the authority for not establishing a fire brigade in this place and called for help as they have lost all their stocks to the blaze.
The town mayor confirmed that there is indeed no fire brigade in this area and the fire was put off by volunteer citizens and some traders adding that, there was neither death nor casualties as a result of the blaze.
“There was no loss of life and nobody was injured in the incident. Only several shops and valuable properties were destroyed,” he concluded.
