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Date: | Mon, 4 Mar 2002 13:06:25 EST |
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The question remains as to why this happened?
Wish the true Gambians living in Kanilai all the best
A bush fire, which spiraled out of control Monday and raged for two days,
ravaged much of President Jammeh’s forest park in his birthplace of Kanilai,
killing animals and destroying trees. The fire was so devastating that some
of the animals the president is rearing in his “garden” had to be evacuated
to a safe land corridor as food shortage descended on the animals.
The destruction had also left the president shocked and saddened. The fire
was allegedly caused by two women preparing local herbs in the early hours of
Monday morning in Kanwally village. The two still reported to be at large,
were reportedly preparing some Busesab (in Jola) used to mix with tobacco
powder locally called Piris when the fire quickly spiraled out of control,
spreading to a near-by bush despite valiant efforts by the two women to put
it off. According to reports the fire ravaged everything on its path fiercely
traveling at a high velocity later in the afternoon. By this time it was
already encroaching on President Jammeh’s Forest Park in Kanilai, a habitat
for many wild animals such as lions, wolves, turtles, zebras and other animal
species.
It lasted for two days before 700 youths from surrounding villages and the
combined waterpower of the fire fighters from Banjul, Serekunda and Kotu fire
Brigade finally overcame it but not before it left a trail of destruction to
trees and grass fed on by the animals which were evacuated to a safer place
far removed from the path of the inferno. A bush pig was however not as
lucky. It was burnt to death. The Alkalo of kanilai Alhagie Maseray Jammeh
who expressed regrets over the incident was said to have vowed to come down
heavily on the two women for starting the fire and “in the twinkling of an
eye caused several thousands of Dalasis worth of damage”.
Meanwhile unconfirmed reports have indicated that President Jammeh who was
shocked and saddened over the incident promised to visit the area soon to
access the damage. However up to the time of going to press there was no
independent confirmation whether this has taken place. In recent months bush
fires have become rampant mostly in provincial areas. A bush fire in the
North Bank Division earlier this month destroyed the whole village of Kerr
Sheick Taal, killing livestock, destroying food stuffs and leaving villagers
as destitute.
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