Sierra Leone: Devastation After Fuel Tanker Collision

Around the Wellington PMB area

By Theo Edwards

A fuel tanker exploded following a collision in the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, killing at least 99 people and injuring a dozen others, officials said.

The explosion took place late on Friday, November 5, 2021, after a vehicle struck the tanker in Wellington, a suburb east of the capital, Freetown.

Fuel spilled before igniting, and the resulting inferno engulfed bystanders, those trying to scoop fuel from the tanker, and vehicles at a busy intersection.

Several badly burned victims lay on the streets as flames blazed through shops and houses nearby. The extent of property damage was as yet unknown. Several eyewitnesses narrated in a video. Dozens of people are feared dead.

President Julius Maada Bio, who was in Scotland attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in a Tweet, said he was “deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life.”

People survey the extent of the damage

Charred Motorcycle

In pictures (Courtesy BBC): Sierra Leone devastation after Freetown fuel tanker collision

Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said she saw “harrowing” photos, according to the BBC Africa.

After visiting the scene, Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said it was a "national disaster."

Doctors and nurses were doing their best under very difficult conditions with limited resources and equipment to provide care

President Julius Maada Bio on Sunday declared three days of national mourning following the death of over one hundred people. He promised to set up a Presidential Task Force that will investigate the causes of the disaster and make recommendations for change.

Mass Burial in Freetown. Many of the victims burnt beyond recognition - will be buried in the same cemetery as victims of the 2017 landslide

Mass Burial in Freetown. Many of the victims burnt beyond recognition will be buried in the same cemetery as victims of the 2017 landslide.

Last updated: 11/13 - 06:56 EST.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Saturday, that he was “deeply saddened by the extensive loss of life”, resulting from the crash, when the tanker collided with a lorry at a busy junction in the suburb of Wellington, spilling fuel, before igniting.

“The Secretary-General extends his deep condolences to the people and Government of Sierra Leone, and wishes those injured a speedy recovery”, said the statement.

Support on-going

“The United Nations is prepared to provide the necessary support in the aftermath of this tragic incident”, it continued.

The UN Office in Sierra Leone also issued a statement, wishing “fortitude and peace to the bereaved families, and the Government and people of Sierra Leone, in this period of grief.”

“Furthermore, as partners in the country’s development aspirations”, the UN family in the West African nation said it was closely monitoring the situation and would work with the Government to overcome what the country’s Vice-President, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, reportedly described as a “national disaster”, after visiting the scene of the crash.

Specialized support

The World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted on Saturday that it was “mobilizing specialized supplies.”

“We are working to deploy burnt-patient care experts. We will provide more support as needed, at this terrible time for the people of Sierra Leone.”

---

Stay on top of Sierra Leone's latest developments on the ground with YAME (pronounced yuh-may) fact-based news and exclusive video footage.