The fire broke out in the Swahili neighborhood of the provincial capital of Rumonge province (southwest Burundi). A short circuit is suspected to have caused this fire. The police did not intervene due to lack of fuel. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The six houses housed a small music recording studio, two shops and three stocks. The fire broke out around 2am this Saturday.

According to witnesses, « the source of the fire is believed to be a short circuit ».

The loss would be enormous

« Machines used in fishing and their accessories, fridges, generators were engulfed by the fire, … we estimate the losses at more than 50 million Burundian francs », lamented owners who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi.

On September 10, a brand new car, two houses were reduced to ashes. A fire had broken out in the Birimba neighborhood (same city). A woman was injured.

In both cases, the civil protection police did not intervene.

« We called the civil protection police for help, but they told us that they did not have fuel to start the fire extinguisher truck », lamented the victims of Saturday’s fire.

An grassroot administrator confirmed that « had it not been for the intervention of the population, the losses would be enormous ».

Residents of Rumonge province ask the police to do their task by intervening in such situations.