News
Serrekunda market burnt
By PK Jarju
Banjul
May 2, 2005
Once home to the much sought after latest fashion
shoes, dresses and electronic gadgets the centre of
Serrekunda market lies in smoldering ruins, devastated by a fire outbreak, Friday night.
According to eye witnesses, the fire started at about mid-night Friday, and raged through the rest of the night destroying hundred of stall in its wake. Indeed until the following morning, thick smoke could be seen billowing up from the burnt debris. Almost every thing in the heavily stocked makeshift canteens have been engulfed and eaten up by the inferno.
Confirmed sources claimed that a total of 401
registered canteens, and hundreds of unregistered
ones were gutted by the fire. The affected market
zones included Central 1, Central 2, Soweto, the Old
Garage, as well as facilities of the Gamtel Serrekunda
Branch.
Though most people believed the fire started through
an electric malfunction,(allegedly through illegal
connection) much of the market could have been saved
if access to water and the affected area had been easy
to the many dozens of fire fighters who spent the
night battling the flames. The centre of the market is
made of makeshift stalls clustered in a congested
place with nothing more than footpaths as passage.
No death has been reported as the entire place was
deserted at the time of the accident, but millions
of dalasis worth of goods ranging from textiles, rice,
beans, groundnut, onion, potato, cooking oil,
sardines, canned beef, clothes, shoes, jewelleries,
perfumes, mobile phones spare parts, costumes, cash,
and even live chickens perished.
A contingent of armed soldiers from Fajara and Yundum
barracks, personnel of the NIA, GPF and the PIU were
deployed to prevent looting and are still present at
the vicinity, monitoring a rigorous security checking
on access to the market.
The inferno also prompted a large presence of emergence
and voluntary services.
Volunteers from the Gambia Red Cross Society, headed
by Lamin William Jammeh, the GRCS secretary general,
were on the ground, providing first aid and
humanitarian services since the start of the incident.
A joint-force of the Gambia Fire and Ambulance
Services of Serrekunda, Bakau, and the Airport took
turns to fight the blaze. Civilians were also spotted
given frantic assistance to beef up efforts on the
ground by supplying water in buckets.
Some of the affected traders were seen weeping at
their loss "I had purchased D50,000 worth goods just
two days ago. Oh God, what has happened to me. What
will I do,'' one of them shouted.
According to Sambou Jawara, one of the executive
members of Serrekunda market committee, inferno was
caused by a meter in the heart of the market.
News of the fire was received with shock and
disbelief by the government. The secretary of State
for Trade, Industries and Employment Neneh Macdoul-
Gaye promptly visited the scene of the devastation to
assess the tragedy at first hand. After touring the
scene, along with Mayor Lai Conteh, the SoS
sympathized with the sobbing traders.
"This is an unfortunate situation and a national
disaster. Please accept my personal sympathy and that
of the government'' she told the traders and Market
committee members.
The SoS however made a strong declaration that
standards have to be adhered to in everything we do in
this country.
She echoed President Jammeh's recent remarks
emphasizing the need for standards to be maintained in
the life of the nation "There should a standards in
every aspect of life. I have information from the
Mayor that access the affected part was not easy
for the fire fighters because of the lack of roads in
the market. Not every one should be allowed to set up
canteens every where in the market,'' she said.
She said the magnitude of the damage would have been
minimal if there were wider passage in the market to
accommodate emergency responses. "This made it
difficult and time consuming for the personnel of the
Fire and Ambulance Services to penetrate.
SoS Macdoul Gaye further deplored the canker worm
in society; corruption' She said efforts to enforce
rules would be frustrated if public officials continue
to accept bribes and ignored guidelines. This has also
undoubtedly contributed to the problem," she said.
She also spoke against the alleged illegal connection
of electricity in the market and advised traders to
report any such activities to the right authorities
promptly.
The trade secretary also called on traders not to use
the unfortunate incident to raise prices. "We must not
capitalize on this to increase the suffering of the
people. I do not want to come and find out that a kilo
of meat or potatoes costs more than its present price.
The incident has caused enough havoc already. So,
please do not make life further difficult," she
warned.
Lai Conteh, the Mayor of KMC also expressed his
council's sadness over the incident. He assured the
secretary of State that investigations into the matter
would start immediately.
He said part of the problem has to do with the lack of
corporation from the vendors who are always at
logger-heads with the security over the illegal
structures in the market. Ara Jatta a prominent trader
in the market expressed delight at the SoS's visit and
equally conveyed their sorrow at the tragic loss.
But she warned that time has come for some frank
talking about the state of the market. We must be
willing to come forward and talk about the things to
avoid this type of incidents,'' she said.