Two fires broke out on Monday, 22 June, in the Les Volcans and Himbi neighborhoods of Goma, North Kivu.
The first fire occurred around midday on Lin Lusi Street in the Les Volcans neighborhood. According to initial reports, three children trapped inside a burning building were rescued just in time thanks to the intervention of MONUSCO’s firefighting teams and the Municipal Civil Protection services. The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.
Emergency responders also succeeded in bringing the blaze under control and preventing it from spreading to neighboring houses. However, around ten households lost their belongings.
Denise Bahati, who witnessed the incident in the Les Volcans neighborhood, said that the swift response helped avert a major disaster.
“We were terrified as we watched the fire spread to several houses within the same compound. When the MONUSCO firefighters and the Municipal Civil Protection teams arrived, they quickly took control of the situation. The most important thing is that the children were rescued and that no lives were lost. We are grateful to them because, without their intervention, the fire would have spread to more homes and could have resulted in loss of life,” she said.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, is still in shock after seeing his home and all his possessions destroyed by the fire.
“I lost everything in this fire. The flames spread very quickly, and we were able to save almost nothing. I was not at home when it happened. All our belongings, our clothes, our documents, and the children’s things were reduced to ashes. We truly need assistance from people of goodwill,” said the victim from Lin Lusi Street.
The second fire broke out at around 8:00 p.m. Goma time on Alindi Avenue in the Himbi neighborhood, also in Goma. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established. However, unofficial sources suggest that it may have been triggered by the explosion of a gas cylinder. MONUSCO firefighters responded rapidly and succeeded in limiting the damage.
These interventions illustrate MONUSCO’s continued commitment to supporting the people of Goma and providing rapid assistance during emergencies, particularly through its specialized firefighting teams.
Aline Kataliko
