A 50-year-old woman identified as Loice Salima died after being engulfed by wildfire in Western Equatoria State’s Mundri West County on Tuesday, the police said.
Police Inspector Nathania Baya who is based in Lui Town told Radio Tamazuj that the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a fire that started in a community settlement spread rapidly through dry grass because of the dry season.
“We received information late on Tuesday evening that a woman who was burnt by fire at around 3 p.m. had been taken to the hospital,” Inspector Baya said. “We do not yet have full details. Police are waiting for information from the family, and investigations will be conducted to establish the cause of the fire.”
A family member, who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity, said the fire started at around 2 p.m. while community members were cutting grass.
“Before the fire started, I saw her and advised her to go back home, but I left her there,” the source said. “The fire suddenly broke out, many people ran in different directions, and she fell into the fire and was badly burned.”
Meanwhile, David Jakando, a community leader in Mundri West County, confirmed the incident, saying the fire started shortly after people went to cut grass.
“The incident happened at around 3 p.m. A woman was burnt during the fire outbreak while people were cutting grass,” he said. “The person who started the fire is not yet known. As community leaders, we will investigate how the fire began.”
Jakando added that while others managed to escape, the woman failed to flee and died from her injuries.
The incident has raised concern among residents, as grass fires are common during the dry season in Western Equatoria State.
Local police in Mundri West County have promised to investigate the incident. As of publication, the police commissioner and the state government in Yambio said they had not yet received a full report on the incident.