A devastating mudslide has destroyed several lives and properties as it strikes a community in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The mudslide in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Local reports have shown that at least about 312 people have been killed after a mudslide and heavy flooding in Sierra Leone.
Relatives were left digging through mud in search of their loved-ones, as a mortuary in the capital of Freetown was overwhelmed by bodies.
Houses were submerged in mud after a night of heavy rain that reportedly saw a hillside in the Regent area collapse, with roads described by witnesses as being turned into “churning rivers of mud.”
A coroner’s official said that more than 200 bodies had been taken to the city mortuary, which was left struggling to cope. An estimated 2,000 people have been made homeless.
However, a precise death toll is not yet clear and is likely to rise as many people might have been asleep when the mudslide happened in the early hours of Monday.
Speaking at the scene, Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Victor Foh, said: “It is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble.”
He added: “The disaster is so serious that I myself feel broken. We’re trying to cordon (off) the area (and) evacuate the people.”
People cried as they looked at the damage under steady rain, gesturing towards a muddy hillside where dozens of houses used to stand.
See the video, posted by Society 4 Climate Change Communication Sierra Leone, S4CCC-SL: