Flames erupted inside Sierra Leone’s presidential building in central Freetown on Saturday, according to witnesses and government officials.
President Julius Maada Bio was reportedly not inside the State House when the fire began.
Firefighters battled the blaze for five hours before finally bringing it under control, a senior fire service official confirmed to AFP.
The destructive fire, thankfully causing no injuries or fatalities, consumed documents and furniture within the building.
Authorities indicated that the fire originated on the third and fourth floors of the State House.
An earlier statement from the information ministry clarified that the president’s office, located on the second floor, remained untouched by the inferno.
The cause of the fire, which ignited at approximately 4:00 pm local time (1600 GMT), is currently under investigation.
Social media footage depicted dramatic scenes of flames licking at the upper windows of the prominent white structure, accompanied by plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Local resident Mohamed Kamara described witnessing the intense smoke and fire emanating from the building’s windows and top floor.
In response to the emergency, police swiftly cordoned off the streets surrounding the presidential building.
Security personnel and soldiers were also deployed to the scene. Notably, President Bio is currently abroad in Turkey, attending a conference.
The extent of the damage and the implications for government operations are yet to be fully assessed.