One-year-old child dies in house fire in Gogrial West County

JUBA – A 1-year-and-5-month-old child died from severe burn injuries after a fire engulfed a makeshift shelter in Angui village of Gogrial West County, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the child’s mother left the house for market activities at Angui Boma and left the baby with a babysitter, who was preparing food when the fire erupted.

“What occurred is that the babies were left alone at home as the mother went outside for market chores at Angui market when her babysister attempted to light the fire and it caught the makeshift shelter where they were cooking and it went ablaze, leaving the child of 1 year and 5 month dead” said James Kodong Bol, the director for Warrap Civil Defense department’s director in an interview with Sudans Post.

“The mother was sobbing seriously upon learning the development and now the funeral services are what people are doing” He narrated.

Bol blamed the incident on poor supervision of minors and urged families to avoid leaving children alone with caretakers who may not understand the risks associated with open fire.

“This time of the year is a dangerous period, as wind blows easily and flammable material catches fire, so it is something that our people need to be wary about” He cautioned.

The fatal fire comes just days after a similar incident in Kuajok market, where children accidentally set shelters ablaze, reducing several market structures to ashes.

On Monday night, a massive fire also swept through a section of Custom Market in Juba, destroying traders’ property and cash, highlighting what officials describe as a growing pattern of deadly fire incidents across the country.

Authorities warned that the spread of fires, particularly during the dry and windy season, is becoming increasingly common and continues to devastate households already struggling under severe economic hardship.