Ruptly
"Three members of a single family lost their lives, as more than twenty homes were reduced to ashes after a massive fire broke out in the Katoyi neighbourhood of Goma on late Wednesday night. Footage shows volunteers carrying an unconscious woman from a burned house, while locals gathered in shock and grief. Smoke was rising from the charred remains of homes as residents sttood outside with some salvaged belongings. According to survivors, the rapid spread of the flames left them no time to rescue their belongings, leaving escape as the only option. "We lost everything in the fire and had no way to save anything, because the firefighters arrived too late, after the fire had already destroyed all the houses. Only a small part remained," said Sarah Nyamushi, an eyewitness who jumped out of a window to survive. "We heard noises that frightened us and made us get up, thinking it was the volcano. Once outside, we realised that it was actually the houses that were on fire," added resident Francine Kafura. Locals expressed concern about what some referred to as 'deadly delay' of the fire brigades. "The firefighters arrived around 11 p.m., when the houses were already completely burned down. In the house where the fire started, there were three deaths," explained another local, Wilfrid Balolebwami. While the cause of the fire remains unclear, eyewitness accounts vary - ranging from gas or fuel explosions to suspicions of arson. Official investigations have yet to confirm the incident's origin. The area has witnessed similar tragedies in the past, frequently sparked by electrical shorts, exploding solar batteries, or the use of traditional stoves in its densely packed wooden quarters."
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