Claim: Buchana Port is on Fire
Full Text: Social media users on Sunday circulated a claim that the port of Buchana was on fire.
The claim is seen here, on Nyonkour TV, here, and here.
The port is the second largest in Liberia, and it is located 272 kilometers southeast of Monrovia.
The harbor is protected by two breakwaters, 1,890m and 590m long. Inside the basin, a 225-meter-long ore loading quay is located adjacent to the commercial loading quay, providing a water depth of 10.5 meters below the chart datum.
Verification: The port director, Civicus Barsi-Giah, posted on his page that Buchanan Port is not on fire. It is purely exaggerated!
No! The Buchanan Port is not on fire. A canoe on the pier of the port got on fire, which is an unforeseen situation. The Liberia Fire Service Truck, the Arcelor Mital Fire Service Truck, and their men are doing very well to put things under control.
A phone conversation with journalist King Brown in Grand Bassa said a boat docked at the port with over 300 gallons of petroleum.
According to Brown, the boat engineer missed the battery pole connection when it sparked.
“When the pole sparked, the boat caught fire, and the engineer is now wounded and has been taken to the hospital, said Brown on Spoon FM.
He confirmed that the Arcelor Mittal fire truck is securing the port facility from catching fire.
“The county lone fire truck is not fully functioning, so Arcelor Mittal is pouring water to protect the port’s facility.
Brown said, excluding the engineer, there is no casualty
Conclusion: No, the Buchanan port is not entirely on fire, but there is a boat docked at the port that caught fire and it has affected several vessels.
We will update this report when we get additional details.
