A fire outbreak in Farafenni, North Bank Region (NBR), completely destroyed a building used as accommodation for students at the FatoumattaBintRasoul Madrasa, resulting in dozens of students being left without homes.
MatidaSanneh, the school owner, reported that at the time of the incident, 35 students were staying in a nearby mosque.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Victims stated that food supplies, clothing, and tuition fees paid by students were all lost in the blaze.
Ms. Sanneh described the fire incident as heartbreaking, noting its devastating impact on many students who are now homeless. She expressed deep sadness over the loss of all their possessions to the fire, stating, “It’s a painful experience because everything we owned has been destroyed by the flames.”
Describing how the fire unfolded, Sanneh explained, “I was out running errands when I returned to see smoke billowing from the building and children running away. Thankfully, no one was injured during the fire.”
She emphasized the severity of the fire, saying, “The blaze was so intense that it quickly engulfed the entire building. Despite calling for fire and rescue services, they were unable to contain the fire.”
“We’ve lost everything in the fire, including clothing, food supplies, 50 student beds, and an undisclosed amount of tuition fees paid by students. I also lost some of my personal funds,” she lamented.
She explained that at the time of the fire, all students were either gathered in the mosque for Qur’an recitation or were outside in town.
Matida appealed to the government, philanthropists, individuals, and organizations to assist them, stating, “We are urgently in need of help from all quarters. Many of the children in our school are orphans.” She concluded by expressing appreciation to the local community for their swift response to the fire.
