Authorities at the Aweil Municipal Council in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State said they have launched an investigation following a fire that destroyed approximately six houses over the weekend.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Aweil Town Mayor Joseph Yach Deng confirmed that six houses were completely burned, leaving the affected families without shelter and food, as all of their possessions were consumed by the flames.
When asked for more details about the incident, Mayor Yach explained that investigations are still underway, as there is disagreement among neighbors regarding the cause of the fire.
“The fire broke out around 3 p.m. on Sunday,” said Yach. “When I visited the site as a concerned government representative, I found that many rooms within the houses had been destroyed. However, when we inquired about the cause of the fire, neighbors were unable to agree on where it started.”
“We are continuing our investigation to determine which family was affected, what type of food was being cooked at the time, and whether children or adults were involved,” he added. “We are working to uncover exactly what led to this incident.”
Wek Garang, a resident of Aweil Town, confirmed that the fire had ravaged plots in Machar-Kunyuk, near the Madiria Residential Area.
“The affected area includes eight plots in one block in the Machar-Kunyuk Residential Area, according to the Aweil Municipal Council’s Land Department. Many shelters were located within the burned houses,” Garang stated.