Hovercraft passengers rescued from fire
Freetown - A hovercraft waterbus with 34 passengers on board caught fire in Sierra Leone early Tuesday morning, but nobody was injured authorities and witnesses said.
"Reportedly all 34 passengers were rescued," transport and aviation minister, Kemoh Sesay said.
The hovercraft was making a regular 10-minute commuter run to the country's capital from the northern Lungi international airport town, when it ran out of fuel a few metres off Freetown's shores at around 6.15am (GMT and local).
Eyewitnesses said a boat was sent to refuel the hovercraft and in the process, fire broke out in the engine.
The Deputy Information Minister Mohamed Koroma said "the whole incident is due to negligence on the part of management".
An inquiry has been launched into the accident.
The management of the hovercraft, which is owned by a Nigerian businessman, have not yet commented on the incident.
