Monrovia – Residents of Camp Johnson Road in downtown Monrovia woke up to shock Friday after three contractors were found unconscious inside a commercial building opposite the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), in what police have described as a mysterious incident now under investigation.
The building, which houses several stores, was the site of renovation work. The incident occurred in one of the ground-floor stores, where the three men were later pronounced dead at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center after being rushed there by police.
FrontPage Africa gathered that the store is owned by a woman identified only as Adey, who had contracted the men to refurbish the space into a restaurant. The renovation team reportedly included plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and painters.
The men include two painters—who also served as interior designers—and an electrician identified as Bobby. Eyewitnesses said the men routinely slept at the work site to reduce transportation costs and accelerate the renovation process.
According to residents, the contractors purchased buckets of paint and gasoline on Thursday to carry out painting work. They reportedly went to sleep afterward but never woke up, until they were discovered dead the following day.
“These guys have been working here for a couple of days. Some go home, while others sleep inside,” said an eyewitness identified only as Stephen. “But to our surprise, they never woke up. Someone who appeared to be their caretaker came, opened the door, and found them unconscious on their mattresses.”
A retired security officer in the area, while noting that police have yet to announce official findings, suggested the men may have been unconscious from inhaling toxic fumes.
“From the look of things, they may have died from inhaling paint fumes or generator smoke,” he said. “If gasoline was mixed with paint and used in a room with no windows, it was not advisable to sleep there the same day.”
The store reportedly has no windows and is fitted only with glass doors and metal security gates, raising concerns about ventilation.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) has confirmed it is investigating the deaths of the three men but preliminary findings suggest they may have died from carbon monoxide due to low ventilation.
Meanwhile, the area has been barricaded and all work at the site has been suspended.
