By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
A serious accident involving two oil tankers owned by Gold Tree Company Ltd. has raised alarm in Daru and neighboring communities after the vehicles overturned on a temporary bypass near the dilapidated Moyawa Bridge.
The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, July 14, 2025. Both tankers, fully loaded with palm oil, were traveling from Gold Tree’s production site when they lost control on the muddy and uneven makeshift road currently in use while the Moyawa Bridge undergoes reconstruction.
Eyewitnesses described the crash as chaotic and dangerous. One of the tankers reportedly ruptured on impact, spilling a significant volume of palm oil into the surrounding environment. Preliminary estimates place the financial loss in the millions of Leones.
This is a serious setback, said Moinina Fatorma, Youth Chairman of Jawie Chiefdom and an employee of Gold Tree. The livelihoods of many families here depend on this company. Incidents like this don’t just affect the business they disrupt the entire community.
Gold Tree Company Ltd. is among the largest private employers in the region, providing jobs to hundreds in Daru and surrounding areas. In addition to employment, the company supports local development, education, and food security initiatives.
With the accident threatening operational delays and increased costs, residents fear potential ripple effects including job losses, price hikes, and slowed economic activity in an already vulnerable region.
Reconstruction of the Moyawa Bridge, led by the Kailahun District Council, had recently sparked hope for safer travel and improved logistics. However, this accident has renewed focus on the dangers of the temporary bypass, which many locals say has long been unfit for heavy commercial transport.
Although Gold Tree has yet to release an official statement, internal sources say the company is assessing the damage and reviewing safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As uncertainty mounts, residents are calling for faster completion of the bridge and more strategic infrastructure planning. For Daru and its people, the road to recovery will require not only repairs but long-term investment in resilience and safety.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,21th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
