A release from Government dated the 11th May, 2018 has confirmed that the Presidential Lounge of the Freetown International Airport was caught up in flames at about 1400 hours. The release furthered that the government immediately dispatched a high-powered delegation to the scene headed by the Ministers of Transport and Aviation and Communications to ascertain the cause of the fire and undertake an initial assessment of the damage.
The Ministers and their delegation, according to the release, interviewed the General Manager of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority, the Local Unit Commander of Lungi Police Division and other security personnel deployed around the Presidential Lounge about the incident.
“This incident could not have come at a more unfortunate time, coming on the eve of the presidential inauguration,’’ the release states.
The release concludes by assuring the public that immediate steps have been taken, including the designation of an alternative VIP Lounge to ensure the safety and comfort of our dignitaries arriving for the inauguration ceremony.
“We wish to assure all Sierra Leoneans and our invited guests that everything is under control and that the Airport is safe and secure to accommodate flights and our guests from far and wide of the usual Sierra Leonean hospitality,” the release further explains.
The management of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority, in a Press release, has stated that an initial eyewitness report by the Aerodrome Chief Fire Officer alleged that the cause of the fire incident may not be unconnected with the explosion of the plasma TV on the wall of one of the rooms of the Presidential Lounge.
They assured the general public that the extent of the damage caused by the fire incident to the Presidential Lounge is minimal and there is no cause for any alarm.
Many Sierra Leoneans, who heard the news of such fire at a time when the airport was set to receive dignitaries from all over the world to grace the inauguration ceremony the newly elected president, were greeted with mixed feelings and largely attributed to sabotage against the new regime.
The facility was recently given a facelift by the management of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority ahead of preparations for the inauguration of the President and an inspection tour conducted by some senior government functionaries and officials of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority. They have all given credence to the rehabilitation exercise.