RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least seven people died and four were injured on Saturday, January 9th, after several houses caught fire in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, capital of the northeastern department (province) of Norte de Santander.
General Oscar Moreno, commander of the Cúcuta Police, said that the fires occurred early Saturday.
“We hope that in the course of the day, we can establish what caused this unfortunate event. Five people were found in one residence, two in another and the other four people who were injured were in another home,” said Moreno.
The mayor of Cúcuta, Jairo Yanez, declared that the poor condition of the electrical system in a nearby building was the apparent cause of the fire that consumed three homes in the city.
“Nobody expected this type of news starting off such a complicated day in the middle of this quarantine. A deep analysis of what happened is being carried out. The important thing is the human issue, the lives lost, and that is why we send a message of solidarity to all citizens,” said Yanez.
Colombian President Ivan Duque sent his condolences to the families of those who died and said the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) was dealing with the case