Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. A devastating fire engulfed the administrative block of Kambia Secondary School (KISS) early Monday morning, destroying six staff rooms and three classrooms, and leaving the institution struggling to cope with extensive losses.
According to Principal Ahmed Sidik, the fire ignited around 8 a.m. inside his office. According to my teacher, Sidik, who was at the school premises, said, “the fire started in my office at 8 a.m.”
He explained that the school currently has no functioning electricity system. “We don’t have electricity in the school. We used to have solar-powered electricity, but it was struck by thunder a month ago,” he said.
During efforts to contain the blaze, two former pupils of the school suffered suffocation while attempting to extinguish the flames. They were rushed to the Kambia Government Hospital and have since been discharged.
The fire consumed all stationery, computers, and furniture housed in the administrative building. “My office and the staff rooms were loaded with stationery and school colours. Everything is gone,” Sidik lamented, describing the extent of the destruction.
The principal further noted that Kambia District lacks functional firefighting services, a gap that significantly hampered the response. “We don’t have firefighters here yet, and the one we have hasn’t started operations as there is no equipment deployed,” he stated.
Despite this, police officers, military personnel, and community members intervened to help control the fire. “The smoke is still in my office,” he added.
Chief Fire Officer of the National Fire Force (NFF), Nazir Kamanda Bongay, confirmed that Kambia – like several other areas in the country – has no operational fire station. He said the available staff in such areas only conduct fire prevention education.
The school is now appealing for immediate aid to rebuild. “The school, teachers, students, and we the staff are in grief and shock. We need the government’s and philanthropists’ support at this sad time,” Sidik said.
KISS accommodates 1,754 students, including 871 in JSS and 883 in SSS. The three classrooms destroyed had previously held more than 400 pupils, including Commercial 1 and 2, and Science 1.
The razed administrative building, constructed in 2006 under the Sababu Project, has long served as a central pillar of the school’s operations.
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