By Hassan Ibrahim Conteh
Almost the whole of Susan’s Bay community, in Freetown, has been wiped off after a fire accident claimed hundreds of houses.
The fire, which happened yesterday, was said to have started through uncontrollable means. Stakeholders’ reports say the incident was caused by a woman from a storey building. Although there are still mixed reactions, on what actually led to the cause of the outbreak, a youth chair said the fire emanated from a local stove.
Abdul A. Kamara is Susan’s Bay Youth Organization’s Chairman. Relying on local statistics, Kamara said about 300 houses were destroyed, while over 5,000 people have been displaced. “At late 6pm in the evening, the fire started but Fire Force officials were not around,” he said.
And it took, he added, about one hour before National Fire Force’s ambulance came to rescue the situation.
“Two of the ambulances were having serious challenges with the pipes. So they could not pump out the water,” he observed.
Owing to the distance and congested environment, the Fire Force officials, he said, couldn’t help out the situation. It means officials were acting like spectators.
“The two fire force ambulances, at Mabela, were just standing watching the blazing fire,” he claimed.
Susan’s Bay is a densely populated community in the lower centre of Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city.
Nearly 12,000 residents, Kamara said, used to live in the community. The fire outbreak however gutted houses in ruins. Women and children were mostly affected. No death has been reported so far, but rescue volunteers said some children might have died while jumping into the sea, fearing for their life.
Considering the high scale of the disaster, President Julius Maada Bio is expected to make a statement soon with a view to providing help to the victims.
However, during the fire incident yesterday, the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki Sawyer, made her presence felt, but had not promised victims of any assistance. Properties were carted away by inconsiderate human beings, thieves. While the fire was blazing uncontrollably, a victim said, their properties were stolen by those pretending to help them.
Mbambay Sumah, an elderly woman, in her 70s, expressed emotional disappointment.
“My daughter (Hannah Bangura) is a cookery seller, but all her belongings, including mine, got burnt by yesterday’s fire,” she said.
Madam Mbambay has no choice but expressed hope to her maker. Eyewitnesses account revealed that plumes and flames of fire were mainly amplified by the breeze. As the gust of breeze pushed harder, the fire expanded further to other adjoining houses, clustered together by zincs.
Globally, the year 2020 was declared “Year of Bush Fires” with Australia being the most affected country.
In Sierra Leone, major fire outbreaks have occurred in Falaba district, Belgium, Waterloo and other areas. At Susan’s Bay, victims who largely depend on fishing business were affected as gallons containing fuel went ablaze.
In the midst of churning feelings of sadness, a finger of blame was pointing at a neighboured compound in which a number of freezers and televisions are common. A woman, who was speaking from a distance, murmured that the fire could have started from that compound.
“They play music late at night. Freezers are plenty there,” she said.
However, Emergency Relief Operations are underway. But no tangible humanitarian assistance has been offered to affected persons. Government authorities and humanitarian organizations are embarking on data collection of victims.
There has been marked presence of Government Disaster Response Team, such as the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) and the Office of National Security (ONS).
Others, like the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society and Children’s Adocacy Network (CAN), Measure for Impact and Baptist Convention, Sierra Leone, have also been collecting pertinent information from victims.
“We are partnering with other international organizations. We have seen the seriousness of the situation and have collected data that would inform our partners’ decision for a possible response to the crisis,” said Reverend Titus, a coordinator at Baptist Convention, a local NGO.
The incident, which happened at 7 in the evening, has left many people homeless. Affected victims could be seen sitting under makeshift tents.
Properties, worth millions of Leones, couldn’t be quantified, but the gravity of the disaster could be noticed. Residents who had lived in the community for years shared their bitter experience.
They said, although the community usually experienced fire outbreaks, but March 24, 2021 fire outbreak has been recorded as the major outbreak ever witnessed in the slum. Big Wharf community falls under the purview of Eastern Police Station. As most people lost their valuables, notably monies, phones, freezers, televisions and other gadgets, police told the victims to report to the police station.
“I lost Le4 million Leones. I gave my bag to someone I couldn’t recognize,” a victim lamented.
Despite police assurances, to handover missing items to rightful owners, upon any claim made, chances are very slim to recoup those properties. And signs are also clear that affected persons may not get equal compensation to properties lost.