An unprecedented incident of a bomb explosion shook the Komrabai Waterloo village in Maforki Chiefdom, Port Loko District, on the late afternoon of March 24, 2025.

The tragic event unfolded when three boys, ages 13 to 15, ventured into the bush to pick mangoes.

In their search, they stumbled upon what they mistakenly perceived to be a harmless piece of iron. Having recognized an opportunity to possibly sell the fruit to a local buyer, they decided to transport the object to the village. Unfortunately, what they thought was simply scrap turned out to be a dangerous explosive.

As the boys made their way to the house of Ya Fatmata Kamara, who had expressed interest in buying the mangoes, misfortune struck. While waiting for Ya Fatmata to fetch the money, one of the boys, Abdulrahman Kamara, made the tragic decision to strike the bomb, believing it to be an innocuous object. In a horrifying turn of events, the bomb detonated, leading to severe and irreversible consequences. Abdulrahman lost his life instantly due to the explosion, while his two companions, including Ya Fatmata, were left critically injured and rushed to the Port Loko Regional Hospital for urgent medical attention.

In the aftermath of the explosion, local authorities were quick to respond.

The Port Loko division of the Sierra Leone Police, in collaboration with the Northwest Regional Operations Department, arrived at the scene to assess the situation. They discovered Abdulrahman’s lifeless body at the site of the explosion, marked by the tragic remnants of the violent event. The scene was a harrowing one, with a visible trail of blood and the anguished reactions of community members who had gathered to witness the aftermath. The loss of such a young life sent shockwaves through Komrabai Waterloo and its surrounding areas.

As news of Abdulrahman’s death spread, tears flowed freely in the village. The community, once vibrant and lively, found itself engulfed in sorrow as they laid the 13-year-old boy to rest. In a village that bears the scars of Sierra Leone’s civil war, where remnants of conflict still linger, the gravity of this incident strikes a painful chord. Abdulrahman’s untimely death serves as a painful reminder of the lingering dangers posed by unexploded ordinance and the need for community awareness and education around such hazards.

Echoing the sentiment of outrage and sorrow, Public Trust Media conducted an investigation into the explosion, shedding light on the need for proactive measures from local and national authorities. With the environment having previously served as a base for rebel activity during Sierra Leone’s decade of civil conflict, the presence of unexploded bombs remains a pressing concern. The investigation reveals an urgent need for increased community safety measures, educational campaigns, and the swift removal of any leftover munitions that could pose a threat to community well-being. As the village mourns the loss of a young life and prays for the recovery of the injured, it also stands at a crucial juncture: a moment that calls for collective action, proactive intervention, and a shared commitment to ensuring that such devastating incidents become a relic of the past.