09 August 2010 - Fire broke out at a market in the Upper Nile State town of Nasser on today, destroying seven shops before local officials requested an UNMIS fire fighting party to prevent it from spreading further.
Asked by County Commissioner Peter Dak Tap for assistance in halting the fire, UN Nasser Commander Maj. Anup Agrawal immediately dispatched a fire fighting party of four officers and 25 soldiers with water tankers and fire extinguishers to the scene.
The team took quick action to prevent the fire from spreading to other shops and then to extinguish it completely. With the help of local people, the mission team was able to completely control the fire within 90 minutes.
The cause of the fire, which engulfed both Sudanese and Ethiopian shops, is still being investigated by local police.
Commissioner Tap thanked UNMIS for timely action and quick support, stating that collateral damage would have been much greater without the mission's assistance. Local people also expressed their gratitude.
