MONROVIA — A late-night fire caused massive destruction at the 9th Street residence of former Liberian President George Manneh Weah shortly after midnight Wednesday, September 24, gutting his bedroom and prompting neighbors and community members to rush to his aid.
Witnesses told reporters that the blaze started in the former president’s bedroom, where the damage was described as “massive” by Janga Kowo, Acting Chairman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). “We’re trying to understand what happened because this is very concerning. We’re talking about the bedroom of the former president,” Kowo said at the scene.
Neighbors reportedly responded immediately after receiving a call for help from Weah himself, helping to control the fire before the Liberia Fire Service arrived. Fire trucks and an ambulance were later seen leaving the compound, though officials have yet to provide an official statement on the cause of the blaze.
Despite the extensive damage to the residence, Weah was unharmed. Access to the compound remained restricted to reporters as authorities assessed the scene.
Several prominent figures rushed to the property upon hearing the news, including former Speaker Fonati Koffa, ex-Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, Montserrado County Representative Acarous Gray, and former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah.
The fire comes just two days after Weah returned to Liberia on Monday, receiving a rousing welcome at the Roberts International Airport. When he landed at the airport, former President Weah pledged to oversee the reconstruction of his party’s demolished headquarters. He used that ocassion to call on all Liberians to maintain the peace.
Authorities are continuing investigations to determine the cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage to the residence. More details will follow…
