Comrades: I was in tears after reading the tragic fire that killed five helpless people, including a German. The fact of the matter is, the fire department responsible for the Fajara area should be charged with murder. A fire truck coming to the scene of a fire did not have water. What I asked? This is inexcusable. Are our fighfighters properly trained? Comrades,a tragic event of this magnitude should never have occurred if the illegal government has set priorities, instead of depleting our resources and scaring away Gambians wanting to work in the civil service. Our infrastructure is slowing going down the tubes. Lately there have been numerous fires in The Gambia. Some people have suggested that NAWEC's power failures have caused these fires. I believe that there are improper building codes in terms of proper wiring. There should be a separate builing unit that should inspect houses built and thorough review of their wiring systems. Electricians should be held accountable in the event of electrical fires. Please read this excerpt from The Point. "Fire Disaster Kills Five" "A fire disaster last Saturday killed five (5) in an appartment on No 34 South Atlantic Fajara in the early hours of the morning. The tenant of the house, Sophie Hydara, her niece, Sophie Sowe, a guest from Germany, Sainey Jammeh her two maids Binta and were all burnt to death. The blaze, which according to neighbours, began around 4 am, raged for two good hours during which occupants were heard calling for help as they were trapped in the house. Some neighbours were still crying Saturday afternoon as they recalled the cries of the trapped victims. Some of them however said that they only heard the voices of Sophie Sowe and the two maids and not those of the elderly people that is Sophie and the guest who was to return to Germany this week. The neighbours had very harsh words against the fire department. They said they called Bakau and had to go there physically only to be told that their vehicles were out of order. They were re-directed to Kotu and Serekunda and when the firemen came they had an empty tank and spent an hour trying to break the entrance door until the voices that were crying for help faded away gradually as silence engulfed the cursed house. One neighbour told The Point that neighbours at the compound were not responsive at the beginning and help only began when other neighbours in the vicinity took upon themselves to start breaking the burglar proof door of the verandah but failed short of dismantling the entrance door of the house. One hairdresser in the area, Ben of Ben Saloon brought cement bocks and later an old car engine to break the entrance door without success. The engine as well as the blocks are still visible by the door. NAWEC came later in the afternoon and took away the burnt meter while police and firemen interviewed the neighbours." In conclusion may the souls of these people lay in perfect peace. I hope we can learn from this tragic event. Naphiyo, Comrade M.Lamine Jassey-Conteh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------