Fatal House Blaze Shocks Wau Residents
Wau town woke to tragic news on Thursday after an overnight fire destroyed a thatched home in Khor-Mudir, taking the lives of 86-year-old Philip Mathok Bol and 75-year-old Nafisa Loj, according to state police.
Maj. Santino Odul, the regional police spokesperson, reported that flames were detected around 11:30 p.m., engulfing the grass-roofed structure within minutes and preventing neighbours from intervening.
Emergency Response and Investigation Efforts
A police patrol and community volunteers reached the scene after midnight, but thick smoke and collapsing beams limited rescue attempts; officers transferred the victims’ remains to Wau Teaching Hospital for post-mortem analysis.
“Our Criminal Investigation Department is gathering evidence to establish what sparked the fire,” Odul told journalists, insisting that any proven wrongdoing “will be prosecuted under the law.”
Community Reflections on Fire Safety
Relative Osman Bol Riek, who lives in nearby Shalak, said he learned of the incident too late. “I rushed over, but the hut was already ashes,” he recalled, lamenting unreachable emergency hotlines.
Residents expressed concern over the flammability of thatch housing during the dry season and urged authorities to boost public awareness, improve night-time patrols, and expand access to firefighting equipment.
Elderly Vulnerability Amid Rapid Urban Change
Social workers note that older citizens often live in traditional compounds on town fringes, where lightning, cooking fires, or electrical faults can spread rapidly before help arrives.
Local NGO safety trainer Grace Ubur stressed that “community-level drills and low-cost fireproofing materials could save lives,” calling for partnerships between municipal leaders, health workers, and youth groups to protect senior residents.