Disaster in Freetown as heavy rains cause deadly floods and mudslides : 312 people reported dead , hundreds more missing

AN AFP VIDEO OF THE DISASTER

By KABS KANU–

Disaster befell Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone , early this morning when heavy torrential rains caused massive flooding  and mudslides that have killed hundreds of people, according to news network reports and eyewitness stories, photos and videos on the social media.

By noon, the coroner’s technician at the Connaught Hospital mortuary, Mr. Sinneh Kamara ,  told the media that 215 bodies  had  been collected from the disaster sites which experienced heavy flooding and mudslides. By the afternoon, it was reported that 312 bodies had been transported to the  mortuary , which had become full.

Kamara has called on Sierra Leoneans to visit the Connaught mortuary and identify the corpses for burial.

While people were still in bed sleeping this morning,  heavy down pour of rain caused landslides  at Regent,  the Motumeh community , IMATT  and the back of the Guma Valley gate and has left more than 100 houses covered , according to some reports.

Heavier than normal rains had been falling in Sierra Leone since the rainy season started.

A section of a hill collapsed at Regent, burying some houses.

Upper Regent Road, Lumley , a community called Pentagon, was also seriously devastated.

The death toll is expected to rise.

Rescue teams are presently searching for more bodies.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE STORMED CONNAUGHT HOSPITAL TO IDENTIFY BODIES OF RELATIVES

A male AYTV  reporter covering the crisis at the mortuary broke down in tears before the camera.

Dr. Sama Forna, expessing sadness on Facebook, lamented :”‘Another sad day here in the city. Major Landslide in the Regent area. Heavy rains have started again and dense fog surrounds that area. The picture below I took from my verandah showing a glimpse of the Landslide. It is really sad. All the lives in that area. I hear people crying at a distance…the cries of death. Sirens going off all over the place. Let us pray for our country and our people. R.I.P to the souls we have lost today……”

AYV TV reported that  60 babies were counted so far among the dead . He said the capacity of the mortuary can no longer contain the influx of bodies and called on the president to release the ambulances.