The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), regrets to inform the public that one of the buildings on the compound of the National Reference Laboratory in Charlesville, Margibi County, was gutted by fire during the early afternoon hours of Thursday, March 17, 2022.
The fire relentlessly persisted for many hours up to 9:00 PM, thereby consuming the roof, floor, windows, doors, and every item in the building, leaving only the concrete structure standing, affecting its integrity. The Fire Department of the Roberts International Airport rushed to the scene and made frantic efforts to extinguish the fire.
The Director-General of NPHIL, Hon. Jane A. Macauley who arrived on the scene of the fire shortly after it began, expressed shock, noting that the destruction of the building is a setback to the strenuous, costly, but steady renovation of dilapidated buildings on the compound. She indicated that the Charlesville facility, which is the former home of the defunct Liberia Institute of Bio-Medical Research, is very essential to the operation of NPHIL, as it hosts the National Reference Laboratory and the Research Department of the entity.
The Director-General expressed gratitude to the Management of the Roberts International Airport and the gallant firefighters for their speedy interventions, without which the fire could have spread to other parts of the compound. The Director-General is also glad that there were no casualties from the fire incident.
The origin of the fire is still unknown, but NPHIL has engaged the management of the Liberia National Fire Service to conduct an investigation into the origin of the fire, after which appropriate actions will be taken.
Photo credit: NPHIL
