By Steven Ngauja
An explosion in the Eastern District of Kono has claimed the life a baby and left her mother hospitalized.
The mother, Mariama Turay, is being treated for injuries she sustained on her legs and face. One of her toes was cut off in the explosion that occured while she was cooking over the weekend.
The police said the incident which happened at Damper Lane, Kapeteh in Koidu Town was reported on Saturday, September 7. But they couldn't say for sure if it's a bomb at this point.
Mariama told Politico from her hospital bed that she was cooking in the evening hours of the day of the incident when she suddenly heard a huge sound that left her unconscious. She only woke up at the hospital hours later.
Mariana has still not been informed about the death of her baby, who only celebrated her first birthday last month.
Dr Daniel Lavallie, Medical Suprindent at the Koidu Government Hospital, said they have withheld the sad information from Mariama to avoid a shock and potential worsening of her own condition.
Dr Lavallie said the mother and baby were brought in in bad condition, with the baby almost dead. He said while he couldn't tell for sure if it was a bomb explosion, the injuries on the deceased suggested so, noting that the wounds seemed to have been caused by sharp objects which are components normally found in bombs.
"I can't tell whether it was a bomb or what, but I saw a very deep wound on the left side of her (baby's) back," he said, noting that whatever object that might have caused the injury damaged the victim's lungs.
Dr Lavallie said the baby's remains were buried on the instructions of the Police.
Officers at the Tankoro Divisional headquarters are investigating the incident.
Detective Sergeant 4630 Sheku Baimba, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, told Politico that a group of people approached the station around 9pm on the day to report the explosion. He said upon receiving the report himself and the Crime Officer rushed to the scene.
Sergeant Baimba said they were yet to receive report on the result of postmortem from the hospital, as of Wednesday September 11.
He however assured that as soon as they ascertain the exact cause of the explosion they will inform the public accordingly.
The incident has rekindled sad memories of Sierra Leone's civil war. Kono, one of the most affected by that war, was almost totally destroyed due to excessive pounding by the warring factions.
Many believe that this explosion could be the result of abandoned bombs.
Last year, a similar explosion killed two people in Sandor Chiefdom, outside Koidu.
© 2019 Politico Online
