|
Liberia probes presidency blaze
 |
Liberia is investigating the causes of the fire that engulfed the presidential building on Wednesday July 26, as a meeting of regional leaders was about to begin.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was hosting the leaders of Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone when the fire broke out, but all escaped unharmed.
Firefighters had managed to put out the blaze by late Wednesday afternoon. The fire marred independence day celebrations, which had included the restoration of electric
street lights.
"The situation is now under control and investigations are underway to determine the cause of he incident," presidential spokesman Cyrus Badio told AFP news agency.
"Considering the seriousness of the fire, there is no doubt that the president's office will be affected," he added.
The blaze at Monrovia's Executive Mansion happened shortly after the president switched on generator-powered street lights in the capital, which has lacked electricity for
15 years.
On Tuesday july 25, piped water was made available in the capital for the first time in many years.
Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf won presidential elections last year that ended a brutal 14-year civil war and promised to rebuild the resource-rich country.
|
