In Sierra Leone, Yoni Chiefdom Inferno Left over 600 Homeless

In Sierra Leone, Yoni Chiefdom Inferno Left over 600 Homeless

24 April 2012

published by http://news.sl

Sierra Leone — Over six hundred residents of Mafuntha Village, Yoni Chiefdom, Tonkolili District have been left homeless after a wild bush fire completely burnt down the entire village.

According to reports, Mafuntha Village is located along the Freetown Bo Highway.

Residents say in the early hours of Monday 23rd April 2012, a resident from the village set his farm on fire, which incidentally took over the entire village, despite all attempts by community members to quell down the fire.

Honorable Lloyd Hallowell of Constituency 61 has appeals to Government and humanitarian organizations to come to their aid. He said the victims are in dire need of shelter. He maintained that now that the rains are here, this call needs urgent responds.

The fire was reported to have destroyed several household items, furniture and properties worth millions of Leones.

In another development, on the same day, another fire outbreak burnt down a house on 6 Malama Thomas Street in Freetown, leaving many people homeless and properties worth millions of Leones also destroyed. Reports say at the time of the incident, several residents of the above address were out on their daily businesses. However, two people, a mother and her son, were reported to have been injured in the incident and conveyed to the hospital for urgent medical attention. The cause of the fire was yet to be discovered. The presence of the police and the National Fire Force, helped to alleviate the situation.

It could also be recalled that, five days ago, eight houses were completely burnt down in the Kissy community, leaving a nine-year-old boy dead, several others injured and properties destroyed.