Fire Breaks Out at Sierra Leone Presidential Building

A fire broke out inside Sierra Leone’s presidential building in central Freetown on Saturday, according to witnesses and government sources. The blaze, which began around 4:00 pm (1600 GMT), engulfed the third and fourth floors of the State House, though the president’s office on the second floor remained untouched, the information ministry said. President Julius Maada Bio was not present at the time, as he is currently in Turkey attending a conference.

Firefighters brought the flames under control after five hours, a senior fire service official told AFP. While there were no casualties, the fire consumed documents and furniture within the building. Videos shared on social media showed flames bursting from upper windows and thick black smoke rising from the structure.

Police cordoned off the surrounding streets, and security personnel along with soldiers were deployed to the area. Local resident Mohamed Kamara said, “We saw smoke and fire billowing from the windows and the top floor of the building this evening.”

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Authorities have yet to provide further details about the extent of the damage or ongoing investigations into the incident.