Sierra Leone declares 3-day national mourning after tanker explosion kills 108

He described the incident as a national tragedy.

Bio was out of the country when the incident happened. He immediately returned after cancelling a planned trip to an Ecowas summit.

On arrival at the airport, he went directly to visit the victims.

“I saw our brothers and sisters who are in extreme pain. They shared with me their anguish and I reassured them of my government’s commitment to continue supporting them during these difficult times,” he said on Sunday.

“Moments like these bring us closer as a nation just as they have in the past. We will endure, pull through and persist as a nation. Flags shall be flown at half-mast. Prayers shall be said for the deceased and the injured throughout Sierra Leone,” he said.

Over 90 people are still hospitalised, with some of the injured said to be in such bad shape that the death toll is expected to rise. 

President Bio said the Ministry of Health will scale up its responses to provide the best medical and psycho-social care for victims and their families.

The government is expecting a group of foreign medical specialists to help local doctors deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. 

Victims included people who had flocked to collect fuel leaking from the ruptured vehicle, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of the port city of Freetown where the tragedy happened, said.

Images shared widely online showed several badly burned victims lying on the streets as fire blazed through shops and houses nearby.