Cameroonian Archbishop expresses solidarity with fire disaster victims

The Prelate of Bamenda Archdiocese, Cameroon, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea has expressed his solidarity with persons affected by the fire disaster that razed hundreds of shops at the central market in his Metropolitan See.

On February 22, 2024, over 300 shops were razed to ashes after a fire broke out at the Bamenda Main Market in the North West region of Cameroon, per reports. The source of the fire, which broke out at 5 p.m. that fateful day, is yet to be established.

In a statement issued on Friday, February 24, Archbishop Nkea said, “It is with deep consternation that I learnt of the horrendous fire disaster that ravaged close to 300 shops at the Bamenda Central Market on the evening of Thursday 22nd February, 2024.”

He added, “This has left many families and the entire population of Bamenda and beyond in pain and desperation.”

“At this moment I assure you of my closeness and prayers,” the Archbishop said, and added, “This unfortunate situation brings us to the reality of Job; on the day when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking in their elder brother’s house, a message came to job, ‘Your oxen’, he said, ‘were at the plough with the donkeys grazing at the side, when the Sabaeans swept down on them and carried them off, and put the servants to the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.’”

Archbishop Nkea continued in reference to Job in the Bible, “He had not finished speaking when the other messenger arrived. ‘The fire of God’, he said, ‘has fallen from heaven and burnt the sheep and shepherds to ashes: I alone have escaped to tell you’…1:13-16. In all these misfortunes, Job committed no sin, and he did not reproach God.”

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“My dear people, we are faced with a similar situation like Job, with many questions in our minds, wondering why such things should happen especially at this moment when we are still being tormented by the crisis plaguing the North West and the South West Regions of Cameroon,” he said.

During his visit to the market on February 23, the governor of the North West region, Adolphe Lele L’afrique said a commission will be set up to evaluate the level of damages caused and that the victims will be compensated.

The governor said some 30 people were admitted in hospitals after the incident due to shock but have all been discharged, and that “no human life was lost due to the incident.”