One Child Confirmed Dead After Customs Market Fire in Juba

(JUBA CITY) – A five year old child has died after a fire broke through the Custom Market area in Juba on Monday evening, destroying shops and nearby homes and leaving families in shock.

Police spokesperson Maj Gen James Monday Enoka said the child was alone in a house close to the market when the fire began. He said the mother had left the home briefly to buy items when the blaze spread.

Maj Gen Enoka told Radio Tamazuj that “the child who died was left in the house and his parents were not there. When the fire started, the child burned to death.” He said a case has been opened and investigators have begun work to establish the cause of the fire. No further details were available on Tuesday morning.

The fire is reported to have started at around 7 p.m. near the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation compound in the Nyakuron area before spreading quickly through part of the market. Several shops were destroyed and nearby residential areas were affected as the flames moved through the crowded site.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and worked for several hours to bring the situation under control. Witnesses said the response was delayed, and that the flames had already advanced by the time the trucks reached the area.

The number of traders affected and the value of goods lost had not yet been confirmed at the time of reporting. Early accounts suggest that many shops stocked with end of year goods were destroyed, with losses likely to run into hundreds of millions of South Sudanese Pounds. For reference, SSP 7,100 equals USD 1.

Local authorities have not yet issued a full statement on the wider impact of the fire. Residents and traders in the area say they hope for stronger fire safety measures in busy markets across Juba to prevent similar incidents in the future.