On Sunday, 3rd May 2026, a thunder strike has caused significant property damage at SLMB Secondary School in Mile 91, Yoni Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, after a light downpour on Sunday evening.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:00 PM, sending shockwaves across the school community. Despite the intensity of the strike, no lives were lost, a development many have described as fortunate.
However, the thunder strike left a trail of destruction, most notably the complete burning of the Junior Secondary School Principal’s office, which was reduced to ashes.
Speaking to News Journal Media, the Junior Secondary School Principal, Saidu T. Kamara, described the incident as devastating.
“This is a very painful moment for us as a school. We lost important documents, furniture, computers and other valuable materials in the fire. But we are grateful to God that no life was lost,” he said.
Mr. Kamara further noted that the incident has disrupted administrative operations at the junior secondary section, calling for urgent support to help restore normalcy.
Also commenting on the situation, the Senior Secondary School Principal, Daniel Alaska Bangura, expressed relief that students and staff were not harmed but injuries were sustained by youths trying to salvage the situation.
“We thank God that there were no casualties. The safety of our students and staff is always our priority. While the damage is significant, we will work collectively to rebuild and continue the educational process,” he stated.
The situation was swiftly brought under control by the Miro Fireforce, whose prompt response prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the school campus.
Authorities and school officials are expected to assess the full extent of the damage and outline recovery measures in the coming days.
Students affected are appealing to government and NGOs to rebuild the school and help restore normalcy.
Credit: Mohamed Muckson Sesay,
News Journal Media
