By Alimamy.jalloh@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – In a press briefing held on Tuesday, Jalikatu Mustapha, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, revealed that the Guinean government, reached out urgently to the Ministry of Health, for medical assistance to aid victims affected by a recent fire outbreak at the country’s depot. Mustapha highlighted the swift response and dispatch of aid after receiving this communication.
Madam Mustapha further disclosed that upon receiving the request, Sierra Leone’s Vice President mobilized a medical team consisting of doctors, nurses, medical buses, ambulances, surgeons, and essential medical supplies. This team promptly departed for Conakry, Guinea, aiming to provide immediate treatment and aid to the victims of the devastating fire incident.
According to reports, the fire disaster, which occurred on Sunday, led Guinean authorities to evacuate residents near the depot explosion site on Monday. Simultaneously, defence and security officials worked relentlessly to contain the raging inferno.
Additionally, the government ordered the temporary closure of schools near the oil depot in Kaloum, the capital’s administrative district, at 12 a.m. The explosion prompted survivors to hastily flee the area in a bid for safety.
Local media reports indicate that the incident resulted in the tragic loss of eleven lives, with approximately 80 individuals sustaining injuries from the Conakry fire disaster. AJ/20/12/2023
