Supermarket Fire Incident Under Probe

In the wake of Tuesday’s fire outbreak at the ERA Supermarket on 16thStreet in Sinkor, Monrovia, the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS)yesterday set up a six-man investigative team to establish the cause.

The fire incident, which started around 3pm, left three apartments onthe first floor of the supermarket building damage and severalproperties destroyed. Although authorities of the Liberia National Fire Service haveassured that the investigation findings would be released by today,Friday, September 18, 2016, Journalists who visited scene of the fireobserved that besides the apartments, a warehouse stockpiled with hugeconsignment of goods was completely burnt down by the fire.

It was also observed that the fire could not affect the main hall tothe supermarket due the presence of several ‘heat vans’ responsible toreduce heat produced from a bakery situated inside the supermarket.

Part of the side rife of the first floor was badly affected during theincident.ERA Supermarket Human Resource Manager D. Solomon Fyneah toldreporters that it was difficult for the management to determine the cause of the fire – a situation that has, has for the past two days,paralyzed normal business transactions.

Fyneah said the company has three power generators – one 350KVA whichwas in use when the fire started, 150KVA and 60KVS respectivelylocated in the back of the supermarket, not affected from the fireoutbreak.

There were also some machines inside the bakery used to test and pricetag goods which were not affected, even though the entire electricalwiring system in the walls of the building were completely burnt.

The Human Source Manager maintained that the company’s management,during the fire incident, applied all of the necessary safety measuresby using over ten fire extinguishers to secure safe passage foremployees and other visiting guests inside the supermarket, therebycausing no physical injury to anyone prior to the arrival of the LNFS

fire fighters.

The ERA Supermarket has its Insurance with the OMEGA Insurance Companyof Liberia situated on 5th Street.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Edited by George Barpeen