By Lamin Cham
The colonial building housing the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources was yesterday gutted by a fire that left substantial damage in its trail.
Fire officers in Banjul were called to the scene late in the morning and it took them hours to tame the raging flames.
Bamba Banja, permanent secretary at the ministry, said the minister’s orderly informed him about the fire and the building was immediately evacuated as the flames grew too dangerous and unsafe.
“The inferno engulfed the entire building, eating up furniture, all our files, desktops and many other important materials. My last piece of work on my computer were answers to parliamentary questions,” Banja said.
He said the full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed but the building is in such a terrible state that the staff must be relocated.
“There is nothing left here,” he said.
