KUAJOK – A two-year-old girl has died after a fire engulfed her family’s grass-thatched house in Kuajok Town in South Sudan’s Warrap State after children reportedly attempted to burn hairy caterpillars that have recently invaded parts of the Bahr El Ghazal region.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday in Manyang Kuel village and has renewed concerns over child safety and the growing caterpillar outbreak affecting communities in Warrap and neighbouring Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Officials from the Department of Civil Defense, formerly known as the Fire Brigade, said the fire broke out after children who had been left at home tried to use fire to kill the caterpillars.
Mayom Dut Deng, an officer from the Directorate of Safety and Disaster Management, said the children’s mother had gone to the market in search of food and other necessities when the incident occurred.
According to Dut, a five-year-old child and other siblings attempted to burn the caterpillars near the family’s grass-thatched tukul. The flames quickly spread to the house, trapping the two-year-old girl inside.
“The mother of the children was out of the house when the five-year-old child, together with the other siblings, attempted to use fire to kill the caterpillars. Unfortunately, the fire broke out and caught the grass-thatched tukul, leading to the burning of the two-year-old child inside the house,” Dut said.
The toddler died at the scene.
Two other children who sustained injuries during the incident were rushed to Kuajok Hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
Dut described the incident as heartbreaking and appealed to parents and guardians to exercise caution when leaving young children unattended, particularly as the caterpillar infestation continues to spread across affected areas.
“We know the severity of the economic conditions that people are going through, and many parents leave their homes to search for means of survival. This death is very unfortunate, and we ask God to protect those who were injured in the fire incident,” he said.
Hairy caterpillars have become a growing concern in Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states, with residents reporting frequent infestations in homes, compounds and farms. Local authorities say efforts are underway to identify effective and long-term solutions to control the pests.
Officials have urged parents and guardians to closely monitor young children and elderly family members, warning against the use of fire near traditional grass-thatched homes.
Meanwhile, police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State are investigating a separate incident in which a 12-year-old girl was allegedly stabbed to death by another teenager following an argument over a boyfriend.
Police spokesperson Maj. Madut Ngong Aleu said the incident occurred in Kuel-Ajuong village of Madhol Payam in Aweil East County.
According to Aleu, the two teenagers reportedly engaged in a heated argument before one of them allegedly attacked the other with a knife, killing her on the spot.
Police have since deployed officers to the area to contain tensions and prevent retaliatory violence.
Aleu appealed to relatives and community members to remain calm and allow the legal process to take its course, urging residents to seek justice through the police and customary courts rather than taking the law into their own hands.
