Over 150 shops burnt down in Aweil
More than 150 shops have reportedly been destroyed after Tuesday’s fire outbreak at Aweil North County (Gok Machar), Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Information Minister, William Anyuon Kuol, who spoke to The City Review exclusively on the phone from Aweil, described the situation as terrible to the state.
“What happened was really unexpected at this hard time. We are really shocked as a state government because it is really bad for the traders to lose their shops in such an incident. It is really a disaster for the state,” the information minister expressed.
According to him, the incident happened at the Aweil North County, Gok Machar headquarters, which he said is one of the biggest markets in the state at the level of the county.
The official further stated that it was difficult for the authorities to immediately establish the losses that the traders had accounted for in the incident since many shops were destroyed.
“We tried to find out the source of the fire outbreak in the market, but up to now we have not been able to get the details, although the police are trying their best to investigate,” Kuol said.
He said the fire burned a number of concrete shops that were built in the market, including unfinished ones where traders sheltered.
“Local traders, particularly those who operate from small building shops, were badly burned, as were their shops with preparties inside.
“And according to what the commissioner told me yesterday, over 30 big shops were destroyed total while the temporary shelters were uncounted, but there are well over hundreds, “NBGS information minister revealed.
Brig. Garang Mathiang Kuac, the Aweil North police chief inspector, revealed that the incident started at 2:30 pm and took some good hours before it came down.
“It was yesterday afternoon at around 2:30 pm when a fire caught one of the shops at Aweil Northern County (Gok Machar Market), which later spread to the other shops, burning over 150 semi-concrete shops into ashes.”
“So, this is what happened here, and as we speak now, things are worse, because it is the only market that people in Gok Machar depend on. It is a really very great loss to the traders and the consumers, “Brig. Gen. Kuac narrated.
He said although the police went on the market to figure out the cost of the distraction in terms of money and properties, it was difficult to establish in a short time since the shop owners were traumatized and others were almost running mad, which needed time for them to come into their normal sense.
He said police have formed a committee to establish the losses that traders suffered in the incident, including the number of shops that were destroyed.
Brig. Gen. Kuac promised to investigate the root cause of the fire outbreak and would keep the public informed once the investigation is done.
