Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) Office at Vavaya Ridge in Central Honiara was engulfed during an early morning blaze on Wednesday.
The blaze has caught nearby residents by surprise who called the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) fire rescue team.
The fire service team arrived to help try and contained the fire, but could not do much to stop it from spreading.
According to witnesses the fire may have started from and electrical faults which subsequently spread quickly throughout the building.
An official investigation is now underway to determine the cause.
It remains unclear which official records were destroyed in the fire and how much data had been digitally backed up.
Solomon Business Magazine (SBM) publisher and editor Robert Iroga was at the scene soon after the fire broke out.
He later spoke with the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission chair Taeasi Sanga, who expressed sadness by the events.
Most of the staff were also shocked following the incident.
A couple of former electoral staff who supported the 2024 National General Election said, all the hard copies and documents stored at the office are likely to be destroyed in the fire.
“Its a sad day for the electoral office,” a former staffer said.
Photo credit @ Lynnissha Runa – Isles Freelance
