Freetown, May 24, 2022 – The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has concluded investigation and assessment into the fire incident that occured on Friday 21st May, 2022 at Lower Gbendembu, Crab Town, Levuma Beach in Freetown.
Preliminary assessment carried out by NDMA indicates that the fire incident was as a result of poor electrification in one of the makeshift structures which quickly spread across, leaving 223 victims homeless including 59 school going pupils, 5 pregnant women, 11 lactating mothers and completely destroyed 12 makeshift structures.
The rapid rise in household fire incidents especially in Slum Communities are caused mostly by poor electrification. Some of which cannot be unconnected to the poor wiring of a house by unprofessional electricians that habitually make use of faulty, old and outdated appliances, cords, receptacles and switches for their work. This is in addition to the multiple illegal connections to a single-phase domestic meter which can cause sparks and lead to fire outbreaks.
Illegal electricity connections to houses, regardless of the wattage being supplied, accounts for over 70% of electrical fires in the last four (4) months.
As NDMA continues to coordinate relevant stakeholders for swift response in order to ameliorate the condition of the affected victims, the public is advised to always consult trained and qualified electricians for their electrical work. Paying attention to the maximum recommended wattage on all their electrical appliances can minimize the risk of electrical fire in their household.
For More Enquiries:
Directorate of Communications
National Disaster Management Agency
Contact: +23278388946
Email: mohamedlbah@ndma.sl
