People remove the wreckage at Regent region of Freetown after landslide struck the capital of the west African state of Sierra Leone on August 15, 2017. At least 312 people were killed when heavy flooding hit Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown. ( Stringer - Anadolu Agency )
By Alpha Kamara
DAKAR, Senegal
The death toll of Monday's mudslide disaster in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown has surpassed 350 as rescue efforts continued through the night.
“A whole community was buried under the rubble. It’s a tragedy. We are still recovering the bodies. We cannot be certain but more scores of Sierra Leoneans were lost.
The mortuary is currently overwhelmed. We are being careful to ensure we don’t have a spillover effect on cholera and diarrhea outbreaks.
Currently we have over 350 bodies recovered," Sierra Leone’s Deputy Information Minister Cornelius Deveaux told a news conference in Freetown on Tuesday.
In a broadcast Tuesday evening, President Ernest Koroma called on Sierra Leoneans to unite during this moment of grief.
“This tragedy of great magnitude has challenged us to work together. We commend the enduring efforts of the security, media and youths for the patriotism they show during this painful moment.
We have established relief and registration centers to coordinate the efforts,” Koroma added.
On Tuesday, the mayor of Freetown Bode Gibson said the victims would be buried in mass graves.
“Most of the bodies were decapitated. We will try to do mass burial after arrangements with the families and call for joint prayers,” Gibson told national broadcaster SLBC.
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