“My condolences to the families of those affected” President Bio
Dozens of school pupils in Bo, Sierra Leone’s second city are reported injured because of a stadium incident. Our Bo reporter said, hundreds of pupils from various secondary schools were at the Bo old stadium to witness the sanitary pad distribution of First Lady Fatima Bio. In the process, one of the metal railings of the stadium fell and injured some of the pupils. Videos circulated on social media showed the incident and parents response trying to check on their kids inside the stadium.
A press release from the office of the president also explained the incident with a condolence message to parents of the victims.
“On Thursday 2nd February 2023, His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio, successfully launched the 2023 Free Sanitary Pads Distribution at the Bo Stadium.
The formal launch was marred by an accident involving school children when a short section of metal guardrail on one of the levels of the stadium came apart. The affected children were immediately transported to the Bo Government Hospital for free medical care, accompanied by Dr. Austin Demby, Minister of Health, and Sanitation,” the release said. President Bio also tweeted words of comfort to families of those affected in the incident.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected children and their families. There was no stampede, and the Bo Stadium has not collapsed, it ended.
The free sanitary pad distribution is an initiative of Sierra Leone’s First lady Fatima Bio, under her ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign which believes in promotional child reproductive rights across the country.