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Three young siblings tragically lost their lives in a house fire on Monday afternoon in the Jarmalka neighborhood of Burco, the capital of Somaliland’s Togdheer region. Residents and witnesses said the fire broke out at around 1:00 p.m. when the children were at home and their mother had briefly stepped out to charge her phone at a nearby shop. What began as a normal day quickly turned into a devastating tragedy that has left the community in deep grief.
According to neighbors, the fire spread very quickly and within minutes the small house was consumed by flames. When the children’s mother returned, she found the home engulfed and was unable to save them. Witnesses reported that one child was trapped inside and never made it out, while two others were pulled out alive but had suffered severe burns and later passed away from their injuries.
One resident who spoke to local media described the horror of the moment. He said he was sitting close to the house when he smelled smoke and noticed the fire. In his words, “There was nothing we could do about it, and the fire department arrived too late. The children burned for about three hours.” His account highlighted both the helplessness of neighbors and the slow emergency response that has angered many people in the community.
The fire service in Burco has come under heavy criticism from residents following the tragedy. Many complained that fire brigades in the city are limited and usually stationed in only one part of town, making it difficult to respond promptly when emergencies occur in other neighborhoods. Locals argued that if the fire department had arrived sooner, the lives of the children could have been saved, or at least the damage could have been reduced. This criticism reflects a wider frustration with emergency preparedness in the city, where residents say fire incidents are not uncommon and have previously caused both injuries and deaths.
Neighbors also expressed sorrow over the family’s loss, noting that the tragedy could have been prevented with better fire safety awareness and stronger support systems. Some suggested that families should be educated on how to handle emergencies such as fires, while others insisted that the government and local authorities must prioritize improving fire services. The sense of despair in the community was evident, with many pointing out that this was not the first time Jarmalka neighborhood had witnessed such a heartbreaking incident.
Fires in residential areas have long been a concern in Burco, where many homes are built with materials that catch fire easily, and emergency infrastructure is still underdeveloped. Residents say that unless more resources are invested into strengthening fire services, tragedies like this one will continue to happen. For families living in these neighborhoods, the loss of three young lives has served as a painful reminder of how vulnerable they are in the face of disasters.
The children’s deaths have deeply shaken Burco. Parents in the area say they are now more fearful for the safety of their own families, especially since they cannot rely fully on fire brigades to reach them in time during an emergency. Calls are growing for authorities to take immediate steps to expand fire service coverage, provide more equipment, and train firefighters so that lives are not lost in similar circumstances in the future.
As the family mourns their devastating loss, the incident has left the entire Jarmalka neighborhood in shock and sadness. For many residents, the memory of three young siblings perishing in flames will remain etched in their minds as a tragic story of how lack of preparedness and delayed response can cost innocent lives. The tragedy has now become a rallying point for locals demanding change, hoping that the children’s deaths will not be in vain but instead push the city to take stronger action on emergency readiness.