A dark Sunday for people who carry out their activities at the small market in the Mutanga Nord neighborhood in the north of the commercial city of Bujumbura. Several families are in total desolation. They only counted on this market to live. It caught fire last Sunday. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The market that caught fire is commonly known as « Ku k’abasazi ». The fire broke out there around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 15. It caused several losses.

The carpentry workshop, the small food market, kiosks where you could find all kinds of construction materials, plumbing …. Everything was reduced to ashes.

Owners in total despair

Audace and his wife own a small hardware store. They say they didn’t save anything.

« It was our only livelihood, » they testified, very desperate. For Audace, « the place was the only hope for the survival of our families. We don’t know where to turn. »

Mechack, a local carpenter, also didn’t save anything. All his boards were devoured by the fire. He is in total desolation.

Most of the parents working in this place had taken out small loans to send their children to school, some of them that we met on Monday morning say they are at an impasse.

« We risk finding ourselves in disputes with our customers, » fear other former occupants of « Ku k’abasazi. »

Cyriaque, a local carpenter, says he doesn’t know what to do, he had already received advances from several customers who ordered tables, beds, chairs and other furniture from him. « I’m really overwhelmed, » he laments with a sad face. « We can’t count the losses, they are enormous, » he adds.

Pollution

Parents who have small children and who live near this locality also fear for the health of their children because the smoke continues to escape.

Motives

Some mention political motives because for a few days, there has been talk of bad tension between managers of this market and certain state authorities.

On Monday, the mayor of Bujumbura went to Mutanga Nord. Jimmy Hatungimana has prohibited all access to the debris.