A family in Kanifing Estate lost everything in a fire outbreak on Sunday evening. Fatoumatta Darboe, whose father owned the gutted house told the Chronicle that electrical malfunction caused the fire. Though the fire did not claim any life, she said her family lost everything, from cash, food, clothing to almost everything sheltered in the house.
“I was in my mother’s room when her bulb started flickering. As I switched it off, I sensed something like a burnt tire smelling around. That’s when I rushed to the sitting room where my niece was watching cartoons on TV.”
Fatoumatta said she later realized that one of the sockets in the sitting room had already caught fire and the flames were heading to the sofa where her niece was sitting. “We immediately started using water to put off the fire but it overcame us and quickly caught the ceiling. Before running out of the house, I rushed to my mother’s room to pick up my phone so that I could call the Fire and rescues services. I was so panicked that I completely forgot their number”, Fatoumatta said.
Eye witnesses said that there was no drop of water in the taps as neighbors and well-wishers attempted to do something before the arrival of the Fire and rescue services. “All taps were dry with NAWEC’s water supply in the area turned off”, another witness said.
Fatoumatta Darboe confirms. “My brother called the Fire service to the scene, and upon their arrival, everything in the house was nearly burnt to ashes. The Fire service did not have sufficient water in their tank too to help either”.
Fatoumatta who is studying at the “American University” in The Gambia lost everything in the fire outbreak. “I lost everything: my school and personal documents, some cash, my laptop, my bags and clothes…, everything is gone” she said.
If you want to help Fatoumatta and her family, kindly reach out to these numbers: +2203996976 & +2202637780
