Fatshimetrie, a devastating fire shakes the Matete municipal market in Kinshasa, plunging the local community into fear and desolation. On Sunday evening, a terrible disaster befell this place of life and trade, reducing goods, infrastructure and hopes to ashes. Helpless witnesses to the scene, the inhabitants of Matete witnessed the sad spectacle, wondering how such a tragedy could have happened.
From 6 p.m., the fire began to spread, sowing chaos and destruction in its path. Despite the heroic efforts of some witnesses to control the flames, it took 10 p.m. for the fire truck to finally arrive on the scene. Unfortunately, the damage was already considerable, and the lack of water made the firefighters’ task even more difficult.
Cera, one of the firefighters at the scene, testified about the race against time to prevent the fire from spreading further. Waiting for a more forceful intervention, local people expressed frustration at the slow response from authorities. Why doesn’t a city as important as Kinshasa have a more efficient and responsive fire service?
The material losses are immense, but it is above all the distress of traders and residents that is palpable. Goods that went up in smoke sometimes represented the only means of subsistence for many families. Solidarity is being organized timidly, but how can we compensate for the financial and emotional losses suffered by the community?
In addition to physical property, the fire also caused irreparable damage to a former local school, destroying valuable archives and memorabilia. The young people of Matete, like Merveille, express their incomprehension and their dismay in the face of this tragic event which has turned their daily lives upside down.
Faced with this tragedy, it is urgent that the Congolese authorities take concrete measures to strengthen fire prevention and improve the responsiveness of emergency services. The reconstruction of the Matete municipal market will not only be about buildings, but also about supporting affected families and rebuilding the social fabric broken by the fire.
In these dark times, solidarity and unity will be essential to enable the Matete community to recover from this ordeal. Because beyond the ashes, the hope of renewal and reconstruction remains ever present, carried by the strength and determination of a resilient people.