Floods, Mudslides Kill 312 in Sierra Leone
Severe flooding in Sierra Leone on Monday triggered devastating mudslides in the country’s capital, Freetown, killing at least 312 people.
According to a spokesperson for Red Cross, emergency services say that the death toll is currently at 312, but that it’s likely to rise as rescuers work to pull more bodies, and potential survivors, from the rubble.
Morgues in the area have also been overwhelmed. One morgue worker told reporters that he’s seen “more than 300 bodies come in”, and that there is not enough “space” to properly deal with all the bodies.
Witnesses have said that several homes were completely submerged in the hilltop community of Regent, a town close to the capital that was hit the worst, and that they saw dozens of bodies floating in the water.
Locals posted videos of the floods and mudslides to social media, showing people waist-deep in water, trying to escape to higher ground.
According to the government, more than 2000 people have been left homeless.
The Sierra Leone Meteorological Department did not issue any warnings or evacuation orders ahead of the torrential downpour on Monday, leading to thousands of people being stranded atop their own homes.
Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma, addressed the distraught nation in a live television address on Monday evening. He said that an emergency response centre had been opened in Regent.
He also urged locals to be safe and to stay united during this difficult time.
“Our nation has once again been gripped by grief. Many of our compatriots have lost their lives, many more have been gravely injured and billions of leones’ worth of property destroyed in the flooding and landslides that swept across some parts of our city. Every single family, every single ethnic group, every single region is either directly or indirectly affected by this disaster,” he said.
Several organisations in the country have come together to provide shelter and medical help to those affected by the disaster.
Image credit: Floods in Freetown (2017) [online image] sourced on 15 August 2017 at http://nationalpost.com/news/world/mudslides-and-floods-kill-at-least-300-in-sierra-leone-capital-of-freetown/wcm/ca4c3990-d1c7-46a2-be50-c8917e52b28a
