Fire engulfs homes at Pademba Road

As Sierra Leoneans celebrate the Easter holiday, tragedy befalls others, as a Fire accident occurred on Sunday 17 April at Pademba Road in Freetown.

Speaking to Beyond Borders at the scene of the fire incident, one of the fire victims, Mariama Kamara explained her ordeal. She said she was at home around 5 o’clock in the evening cleaning her shop when she received a call from her neighbor shouting behind the phone that she should come quickly because their place “has taken over by a fire”. She immediately rushed to the scene but unfortunately, she said before reaching home she found out that there was nothing to do because everything she had got burnt and that she thanked the Almighty Allah that no life was lost and no one was.

She pointed out that the quick drafting of firemen to the scene curtailed the spread of the fire. She added that her properties worth millions of Leones were damaged.

Joseph Carew, another victim of the fire incident, a police officer, said he lost all his documents and other valuables to the fire.

“I was in the office when my wife called me about the fire, but before I could get home, all my property had already been damaged. All I have now apart from my children and wife is the cloth on me. I have lost every other thing, “Joseph Care lamented.

The spokesperson of the National Fire Force, Ibrahim Paul, told this Medium that the incident happened in the basement of the building where gas and some cooking items were kept. He said no life was lost and no major injuries were sustained. But however, a lot of properties worth millions of Leones were destroyed.

“My men were there earlier. It took us an hour to reach the scene. They called us from Fire Force Circular Road, which is the headquarters of the National Fire Force. There was some smoke that resulted in fire because there was some spark from the inverter room. They have a room in the basement where they have the gas. There was some smoke which resulted in the fire but there were no active fires. ” Paul said in an interview at the scene.

“This is the dry season and a critical period for the fire outbreak. I urge the residents to always call on firefighters whenever there is any sign of fire. Do not wait for it to get worse before calling us,” he advised.

By Mohamed Amara Gando