By DANIELA ITOE NGUM
Some shops located at the way-out of the Kumba Main Market have been consumed by fire. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, February 8, 2020. Eye witness report holds that the fire emanated from one of the stores of the first floor of the story building at the way out of the market. Though the cause of the fire is still uncertain, reports have it that the fire may have generated from a circuit breaker.
At the wake of the incident, the Kumba Army Rescue was alerted and immediately arrive the scene. The rescue team together with the traders struggled to arrest the situation in order to prevent further damage.
According to Meme Senior Divisional Officer, Chamberlain Ntou’ou Ndong, the damages recorded are enormous and that though the exact cause of the fire is yet to be known, he affirmed that it could be related to shortage of electricity.
“Kumba Main Market has registered today a fire disaster; the population has been seriously affected with goods seriously destroyed. What we can first of all notice is that this fire started from up, that means while waiting for investigation, it may be a matter of shortage of electricity”, Meme SDO noted.
The SDO further appreciated the efforts of the population who aided the Army Rescue team in putting out the fire. “Let me first of all recognise the efforts of the traders because they contributed with the Army Rescue to put off the fire.”
He also assured the population of government’s assistance to the affected the traders. “The damages I said are enormous, the population is affected and am sure that the Ministry of Territorial Administration through the department In-charge of damages is going to see what to do to help those who lost properties today.”
The SDO disclosed that the main problem faced by most traders in Kumba and those in other towns is the non-acquisition of a personal meter. He added that such incidents are usually coming from those who do not want to pay electricity bill and “are found touching the electricity left and right even if they have no idea about that.”
He stated that in the days ahead, he is going to instruct the Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council, Victor Ngoh Nkelle to follow up to see that each of the traders has a meter in order to avoid such incidents.
The SDO was corroborated by the President of the Kumba Main Market Traders Association who also encouraged the traders to acquire their own personal meters so as to curb further incidents.
The Commander of the Kumba Army Rescue on his part advised traders not to stock things like petrol that will help to spread fire.
Though the incident occurred on a ‘ghost town day’, the population shunned fear and came out in their numbers from various destinations to put out the fire.