Lightning Strike Sparks Blaze at Barbados Archives Department, Destroys Documents including historic Liberia ties - FrontPageAfrica

Source: Front Page Africa

Monrovia - A blaze sparked by a lightning strike at the Archives Department in Barbados has ruined scores of documents, including many documenting the Liberia-Barbados connection.

According to reports from Barbados, the fire broke out just before midnight, destroying the two-storey block at the Archives Department that housed these significant historic documents.

Chief Archivist at the Barbados Archives Department, Ingrid Thompson, reported that only a few records were salvaged from Block D at the Black Rock, St. Michael compound. "The majority of the records were destroyed, and some of these records included vestry records, city council records, records of the mental hospital, and general hospital, and so on," she told reporters. "In most cases, some of those documents are irreplaceable. We may be able to retrieve some information from other sources, but for now, we need to conduct a further assessment. We're currently in the process of salvaging what we can."

Thompson, who has been with the department for 38 years, expressed her sadness over the loss, noting that they had been in the process of securing a fire suppression system.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office with responsibility for culture, Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, became emotional as she described the blaze as a massive loss. "We're still assessing the full damage. We were able to retrieve some records, and the team is already on site trying to salvage those records, but this is still a major blow for us," she said.

As she continued discussing the government's intent to develop an archival economy, she was moved to tears. Minister of Information Wilfred Abrahams, also present at the site, told reporters that Minister Munro-Knight had been personally invested in projects related to the archival economy. He announced that there would be a full investigation into the incident and a comprehensive report would be made public.

"This is a tragedy," Abrahams stated, while commending the Barbados Fire Service for their efforts in containing and extinguishing the fire, which was reported just one minute before midnight. Divisional Officer Marlon Small noted that 23 fire officers were responsible for bringing the fire under control, and fortunately, there were no injuries.

"Significantly, we were able to save some of the records while conducting fire suppression efforts," Small said. "From our initial reports, the fire was caused by a lightning strike that ignited the roof of the structure, and due to the condition of the records - very old documents - the fire spread rapidly throughout the building."

Liberia and Barbados share significant historical ties. Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf highlighted this connection during a visit to Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, where she participated in the commemoration of the 159th anniversary of the voyage of former African slaves from Barbados to Liberia. She joined Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Liberian pilgrims, and many Barbadians in a plaque-laying ceremony to mark the historic moment when the ship Brig CORA sailed from Bridgetown to Monrovia, Liberia, on April 6, 1865, with freed African slaves.

Barbados is the ancestral home of many Liberians whose forefathers boarded the Brig CORA in 1865 and settled in Liberia, helping shape the new republic as the oldest independent nation on the African continent. This past May, former President Sirleaf joined dozens of Liberian descendants of Barbados in a pilgrimage to Bridgetown, participating in the commemoration of the 159th anniversary of this significant voyage.