The fires in Kinshasa: an alarming situation and insufficient measures
The city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is regularly hit by devastating fires. Whether in markets, public buildings or residential areas, these disasters have tragic consequences for the inhabitants and the city’s economy. Unfortunately, the fire departments are ill-equipped and under-equipped to deal with these emergencies, which raises questions about the fire prevention and management policy in Kinshasa.
Over the years, many fires have ravaged emblematic sites of the city, such as the Matadi-Kibala Market, Camp Lufungula and the Onatra Building. These cases revealed the shortcomings of the fire services, both in terms of means of intervention and motivation of their personnel. Indeed, firefighters lack essential work equipment, such as protective suits and boots, but also efficient fire-fighting equipment. In addition, many firefighters suffer from salary delays, which affects their motivation and efficiency.
The Kinshasa fire brigade, which is supposed to intervene quickly at the scene of disasters, faces many obstacles. First of all, it lacks efficient means of transport, which delays its arrival on the scene. Then, once on site, the firefighters often find themselves short of water, due to the low capacity of their tanker trucks and the absence of fire hydrants in certain districts. Even in the commune of Gombe, where the fire prevention system is supposed to be more developed, many fire hydrants are unusable or disconnected from the water supply network.
This alarming situation highlights the lack of a real fire prevention and management policy in Kinshasa. Urban planning standards, which once required the presence of fire hydrants in all buildings and at each crossroads, are now neglected. The city’s urban markets, which are busy and often located on the streets, are particularly vulnerable to fires due to the lack of adequate security measures.
Faced with this worrying situation, it is urgent to put in place concrete measures to improve the prevention and management of fires in Kinshasa. This requires strengthening the resources of the fire services, both in terms of equipment and staff training. It is also essential to make residents aware of the importance of preventive measures, such as the installation of smoke detectors and the use of fire extinguishers.
In conclusion, fires in Kinshasa are a recurring problem that jeopardizes the lives of residents and the city’s economy.. It is essential to act quickly and effectively to improve the prevention and management of these disasters, by providing fire departments with the necessary means and by raising public awareness of safety measures. Only a real anti-fire policy can guarantee the safety of the inhabitants of Kinshasa and their property