Gudele fire that burnt nearly 20 shops at the Gudele-Buaba of Juba on Monday, Dec 13, 2021- courtesy

At least three people were killed in a fire outbreak at a furniture shop in Gudele residential area in Juba on Thursday night.

The fire, which started at 11:30 PM lasted for nearly an hour. The victims were reportedly inside the shop when the fire engulfed them.

An eyewitness, who declined to be named said they unsuccessfully tried to contain the fire for hours, before discovering three bodies after it subsided.

“The whole site was ablaze with fire. We were unable to tell if someone was inside or not, but we were surprised to discover bodies in the shop after the fire subsided,” he told Eye Radio.

“So, we spent the whole in the shop until morning when we called the security authorities and the forensic police came and recovered the burned bodies.”

The anonymous witness said all goods in the store including chairs, tables, beds and other home furnishings were destroyed in the fire.

The shop made from iron sheets is situated along the highway, West of Juba city. It’s not clear what caused the fire.

The Mayor of Juba City Michael Lado Allah-Jabu, who visited the scene confirmed the incident.

“This situation is very bad, we once told people to build with fixed materials, but people don’t listen. These people make a lot of money because they make chairs, but they don’t want to improve the place. The fire lost their lives, and three people died.”