The Chief Compound Community in Gbarnga has been thrown into deep sorrow.
This follows a tragic fire incident that claimed the lives of two children.
The two children believed to be between the ages of four and five have been identified as grandchildren of Bong County Administrative Officer Sam Elliott.
They were reportedly inside the house at the time of the raging flames. They died before help could reach them.
Residents suspected that the death of the children was a result of an “electrical fault” which involved Jungle Energy Power (JEP).
The incident reportedly occurred around 11:25 p.m., on Friday, May 15, when residents say, high-tension lines connected to a nearby transformer at Pot Boiling Junction in Gbarnga snapped, fell to the ground, and sparked before igniting into fast-moving flames.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as terrific, “because the blazes spread rapidly through the community, quickly engulfed a five-bedroom house and a nearby shop.”
It left residents helpless since the community was plunged into sudden darkness.
In spite of neighbors’ desperate attempts to respond, the fire spread too fast for any effective rescue effort. It quickly trapped those inside the building.
A resident, D. Sam Baryougah Elliott, Sr., described the moment as “heartbreaking.”
“The entire community was plunged into panic as sparks and fire lit up the night sky.”
He recalled how technicians from Jungle Energy Power had earlier visited the property to address an electrical meter issue, though it remains unclear whether this is directly connected to the incident.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed, and authorities are expected to conduct a full investigation to determine what triggered the deadly blaze.
Residents have called on the Liberia National Fire Service and the Liberia National Police to urgently investigate the incident.
They described the loss of the two children as “devastating and unbearable.”