Fire Destroys Kolenten Junior School in Kambia District
A fire has destroyed Kolenten Junior School in Sierra Leone’s northern Kambia District, leaving the school building in ruins.
Videos circulating on social media show the school engulfed in flames, while community members appeared unable to contain the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established.
Abdul Karim Koroma, a Member of Parliament representing the North West Region, criticised the government over the lack of a fire engine in the area.
“Mr President, how can we build fire offices without fire engines?” Mr Koroma said in a post on social media.
But political and social commentator Alpha Bah said the lawmaker should also acknowledge the role of his All People’s Congress (APC) party in the situation.
Mr Bah said that while Mr Koroma was right to question the current government, the APC had also failed to provide Kambia with a fire engine during its 10 years in power.
The exchange has renewed debate over the availability of firefighting equipment and emergency response services outside Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
Kambia is a border district in the north-west of Sierra Leone and is known for its rice production. It is also one of the country’s main gateways to Guinea, with the official Sierra Leone-Guinea border crossing located in the district.
There have been no reports so far of deaths or injuries from the fire.