A fire broke out on Saturday at Sierra Leone’s State House in central Freetown, sparking swift action from emergency responders.
Authorities confirmed that the incident occurred on the upper floors of the presidential building, while President Julius Maada Bio was away on an official trip.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Information, the fire was limited to the third and fourth floors, and the president’s office, which is situated on the second floor, was not affected.
Efforts by emergency personnel were focused on containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading further.
The fire, which ignited around 4 p.m. local time, sent plumes of thick smoke into the sky, as seen in videos shared across social media platforms. The footage showed flames shooting through windows on the top floors of the iconic white building.
“We saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the upper floors this evening,” said Mohamed Kamara, a resident who witnessed the incident.
Security agencies quickly secured the area, with police blocking nearby roads and soldiers deployed to assist emergency teams.
At the time of the incident, President Bio was in Turkey, attending a conference. Officials say he was not in any danger.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are expected to commence once the situation is fully contained.