Tears, pains and sorrows were visible on the faces of residents on Thursday, May 9, 2025, in the Matadi Estate, Don Bosco Community, where fire disaster killed four children.
Unattended ‘mosquito coil’ is blamed for the disaster.
Residents said they were awoken to a shocking fire disaster that took away the lives of four children.
The charred remains of the victims were beyond recognition as residents, mainly the women visibly wailed.
The incident took place early Thursday morning at 1: a.m. in the Matadi, Don Bosco Community when the unfriendly fire gutted a four-bed room zinc house, while the occupants were far asleep.
According to eyewitnesses, the flames destroyed the corrugated zinc house containing four bed rooms to the ground.
The disaster left many other surviving occupants homeless.
They meanwhile, called on well-meaning residents of Matadi, government officials and businesspeople as well as international partners to come to their rescue as they are about to begin new life without any means.
Yesterday’s incident, which came on the eve of the celebration of the colorful planned annual Matadi Home-coming ceremony, has caused residents to cancel the event.
Liberia National Fire Service
In a related news, authority of the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) has blamed the lack of road access for death of the four kids in the Matadi fire incident.
LNFS, in a release, attributed the tragic deaths of the four children in the fire outbreak to limited road access that prevented firefighters from reaching the scene in time.
LNFS Director G. Warsuwah Barvoul, told a news conference that: “Although, fire crews responded within eleven minutes of receiving the emergency call, their efforts were severely hampered by blocked alleyways, which restricted access to the main point of the blaze.”
“The fire team arrived promptly, but could not reach the house due to structures obstructing the pathway. This delay unfortunately contributed to the loss of young lives,” said Barvoul.
He meanwhile urged the public to refrain from constructing buildings in alleyways, stressing that such actions hinder emergency responses and can lead to preventable tragedies.
In a preliminary report, Barvoul revealed that the fire is believed to have been sparked by a mosquito coil left unattended.
The incident has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of urban planning regulations and increased public awareness about fire safety and emergency access routes.