By Hou Akot Hou
A house fire claimed the life of a 3-year-old child in Nyalath Payam, Aweil Center County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Wednesday.
According to local police inspector Kur Mabior, the victim, identified as Abuk Akuei Angara, was left unattended with his 7-year-old brother while their mother briefly visited a neighbor’s house, leaving a cooking pot on the stove. When she returned, she found their tukul engulfed in flames.
The unattended cooking pot ignited a fire that quickly engulfed the grass-thatched tukul, trapping the children inside.
The 7-year-old sibling sustained serious injuries in the blaze. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community.
The inspector attributed the tragedy to the mother’s carelessness in leaving her young children inside the tukul while a fire was burning.
He mentioned that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Mabior urged the community to be vigilant as the dry season approaches, emphasizing the importance of clearing grass and other flammable materials from around domestic structures to prevent similar incidents.
This incident follows a series of market fires in locations such as Maper-Akot Aru and Udhum, which have caused significant losses for residents in both the current and previous years.