Aweil South traders reel as mysterious fire outbreak guts five shops

AWEIL – At least five shops were burnt to ashes early Friday morning in a devastating fire that erupted around 4:00 a.m. in Panthou Payam, Aweil South County in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

The Payam Administrator, Victor Garang Geng, told Akol Yam FM that the blaze broke out as residents were waking up, consuming multiple business premises and leaving owners counting heavy losses.

“What happened on Friday is that the fire consumed everything around 4:00 a.m. Nobody has been identified, and no one saw the person who may have set the shops on fire,” Geng said, describing the incident as accidental but devastating.

He said the affected structures included a pharmacy, a restaurant, and shops used for storing sacks of sorghum and other food commodities.

Mary Aguak, who owned the restaurant, said she lost all her property in the fire.

“I lost everything, including cooking utensils. I have nothing left to restart my business,” she lamented.

Another victim, farmer John Kuol, who stored his produce in one of the shops, said he also lost money along with his harvest.

“Everything has gone — sacks of sorghum, groundnuts, and even some money,” he said.

Similar incidents spark fear

The Panthou fire comes just a week after another mysterious blaze in Warpac village, Aweil North County, where a hut caught fire and killed 85 goats in a byre. Only five goats were reportedly rescued, and no one has claimed responsibility.

Eyewitness Deng Malual said the owner of the homestead was away at a nearby market selling a cow when the fire broke out, while his wife and children were asleep inside the compound.

“The husband had left early for Ariath Payam market. Later, he learned that his hut had caught fire. The incident is mysterious because no one was inside the byre, yet almost all the goats were burned,” Malual explained.

He warned residents to remain vigilant, suggesting that some fires may be deliberate acts.

“Some people can be weird and evil. They may think of setting your hut on fire and running away,” he cautioned.

In another related incident, residents of Malualkon Town in Aweil East County reported that local pubs selling traditional yeast-based liquor (aragi) were set ablaze in broad daylight last week. According to local hygiene promoter Manut Makuei Riing, no suspect has been identified.

Dry season increases fire risk

The growing number of fire outbreaks across Northern Bahr el Ghazal has raised fears among traders and rural households, especially as the dry season intensifies. Residents say repeated incidents, many with unexplained causes, are leaving communities anxious and economically vulnerable.

Firefighters and local authorities are urging residents to exercise caution, warning that strong winds can easily spread flames between homesteads, particularly where children are left unattended.

For many rural families who depend on stored foodstuffs from their farms to survive hard times, such fires can be catastrophic.

“When these incidents occur, families become severely impoverished, and often no assistance comes even after appeals,” one resident said.

Authorities say investigations into the recent fires are ongoing.