A fire broke out during the night of Tuesday into Wednesday, August 5, in the Tamende neighborhood of Beni, following a suspected electrical short circuit in a beverage warehouse. Thanks to the swift intervention of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) fire brigade, the blaze was contained before it could spread further to nearby homes.
According to the city’s Civil Protection services, the fire started in a warehouse storing highly alcoholic beverages, which fueled the rapid spread of the flames. Despite the scale of the incident, no casualties were reported.
However, the material damage was extensive. Jean-Paul Kapitula, the Civil Protection Coordinator for the Beni region, said that a large quantity of beverages was destroyed and that the warehouse was completely engulfed by the fire.
Before specialized emergency responders arrived, Civil Protection teams, supported by volunteers and local residents, worked to contain the fire. Members of the community took part in the initial response by bringing water and sand to help prevent the flames from spreading.
MONUSCO’s intervention reinforced these efforts. According to Jean-Paul Kapitula, the Mission’s fire engine reached the scene less than twenty minutes after the fire broke out, covering the twelve-kilometre distance between Mavivi Airport and downtown Beni.
“MONUSCO’s intervention reinforced and completed the preliminary work carried out by Civil Protection and the volunteers. Once again, its response was swift and effective,” he emphasized.
In light of the recurring fires in the city, the Civil Protection official renewed his call for strengthening local disaster response capacities. He urged the relevant authorities and their partners to equip the city of Beni with a fire engine capable of meeting the population’s needs.
“MONUSCO has already done a great deal for us. However, it is now essential for Civil Protection to have its own response equipment so that it can react quickly to emergencies and better protect residents,” he appealed.
Beyond emergency response, Jean-Paul Kapitula also praised the ongoing cooperation between MONUSCO and the Civil Protection services, particularly in community awareness campaigns aimed at preventing risky behaviors that are often the cause of fires.
Since the beginning of the year, the city of Beni has recorded fifteen fires. This situation highlights the urgent need to further strengthen prevention mechanisms, public awareness initiatives, and local emergency response capacities in order to better protect people and their property.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).
