A devastating fire incident at the Think Liberia Safe Orphanage in Paynesville City has left two disabled orphans dead and several others homeless.
The orphanage, which hosts more than 20 orphans in the GSA Road Community, went into flames on Thursday, March 13, 2025, raising concerns among community dwellers about the cause of the fire.
The actual cause of the fire outbreak is yet to be established by the Liberia National Fire Service, which visited the scene and managed to control the spread of the fire.
The manager of the affected orphanage narrated to Knews that the two victims who were caught up in the fire were disabled and could not manage their way out when the building got ablaze.
Madam Musa Tiawon stated that the incident occurred when most of the kids were away in school, while a few others managed to escape the scene, which possibly limited the death tolls.
She expressed fear about the situation, noting that it poses a serious threat to the livelihood of over 20 others who have been rendered homeless.
The Think Liberia Safe Orphanage Home Central Manager at the same time called on the Government of Liberia for swift intervention in helping to save the lives of others who are now lying in total despair.
"They called me, and said the building was on fire, and I got confused. When I came, the entire house was on fire. Two of the disabled children left in the fire. Because they were in the bed, you have to move them; you have to feed them. You have to do everything for them; they cannot do anything for themselves."
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"The other children were away in school. I have 22 children who are hosted in the orphanage home. I don't have anywhere now to take them. Everything in the house was affected, and no one was able to take anything out," Madam Tiawon narrated the ordeal to Knews.
She pleads with the government: "I am begging them to please come in, because the clothes, foods, and mattresses all got damaged. Even the building, so I do know where to take them now, and we need to rebuild the area to find another space."
Also speaking at the tragic scene, one of the caregivers of the orphanage, Precious Jones, said the incident has broken her down as a passionate caregiver who has been managing the wellbeing of the children for a couple of years.
According to her, community dwellers made some interventions that helped in saving some of the surviving kids, even though the situation was beyond their control.
"I am a caregiver, and most times I sleep with the children. But what really hurts me were the two children that were left in the fire," Madam Jones told Knews.
The Think Liberia Safe Orphanage, according to its management, has been a transit point for abandoned children and safe homes for sexually abused victims.
