Post a comment 
A fire outbreak has destroyed staff residences and office facilities at the 46 Man Camp of Sunbird Bioenergy Sierra Leone Limited, prompting an investigation by the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security.
The incident occurred on Saturday between 10 am and 11 am at the company’s facility in Bombali. No casualties were reported, as most employees had travelled for the weekend when the fire broke out.
The Ministry swiftly deployed a team of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Social Protection officers to investigate the cause of the incident. The team was led by Deputy Director of OSH Osman Conteh and Director of Social Protection Duraman Songo.
According to the company’s Engineering Services and Environmental Officer, Sulaiman Pascal Kamara, the affected building accommodated 56 employees and housed five offices, including the Agricultural Office, Audit Unit, Irrigation Department, Fire and Safety Unit, and the Zonal Managers’ Office.
“Fortunately, no one was inside the building when the fire broke out. While some personal belongings were destroyed, there were no casualties,” Kamara said. “Preliminary reports suggest that the fire may have originated from an electrical fault in one of the rooms before rapidly spreading throughout the building.”
The company’s Fire and Safety Manager, Kaifala Kegan, noted that the company’s firefighters responded immediately after the outbreak, but access challenges delayed their efforts to contain the blaze.
“The fire started at the rear of the building, and by the time our firefighting equipment gained access to the area, the flames had already spread extensively, resulting in significant damage,” he explained.
Following the incident, Sunbird Bioenergy’s management, led by Human Resources Manager Ibrahim Jah Sesay, provided alternative lodging for the affected workers and organised a psychosocial counselling session for them.
Affected employees highlighted the need for financial support, enhanced safety measures, improved fire prevention systems, better emergency preparedness, and stronger firefighting capacity across the company’s camps and facilities.
The company commended all individuals and emergency response teams whose timely intervention helped contain the fire.
