Over 72 stalls destroyed in Brikama market fire 

More than 72 stalls were destroyed in the Brikama market fire incident as well as many parts of the market. 

The cause of the fire, which started at around 12am on Tuesday, is being investigated by the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service.  

Brikama market is one of the busiest markets in the country and attracts thousands of people for businesses and shopping.

Salieu Jallow, a stall owner, said: “I lost more than D30,000, and don’t have much to say because I arrived here in the morning and realised that my shop was burnt down and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”

“Fire outbreak is becoming a culture in the country, that government should investigate into matters and find a quick solution.” 

Another victim Sulayman Jah suspected that the fire might have been cause by garbages in the market. He said he had been urging vendors to keep the market clean adding that “the amount of dirt and rubbish litters in the market may have contributed to the fire incident.” 

The spokesman of Gambia Fire and Rescue Service, Pateh Gibba, told Gambiana: “Like any other fire, this one was of course devastating because Brikama could not attend to the scene because they were incapacitated by the lack of a fire appliance”

“The fire appliance belonging to Brikama is not in order. It’s an old fire engine, it could not move so we had to call Serrekunda to intervene. And Serrekunda drove all the way from KM to West Coast,” he added.

According to him, “Kotu was also called and they were able to quench the fire. The cause and extent of the damage is being investigated.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba