Mudslide kills more than 200 in Sierra Leone

T TV Tuesday 15/August/2017 13:40 PM
By: Times News Service

A mudslide killed more than 200 people on the outskirts of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown on Monday. Chris Dignam reports.
A massive mudslide killing more than 200 people in Sierra Leone on Monday, sweeping away homes just outside Freetown - the country's capital.
Police and military personnel continuing their search for people trapped in the debris.
"We are coordinating effort to make sure we get people out, we have taken a lot of dead bodies, we have not so far taken out anybody alive."
Witnesses telling Reuters a mountainside collapsed in the early hours on Monday, burying dozens of homes, including two-story buildings.
One man who left his home early in the morning to buy bread said he returned to find his wife, children, siblings and in-laws all dead.
Officials say the death toll is expected to rise.
"The death toll is high but I cannot give a conclusive figure now."
Mudslides and floods are common during the rainy season in West Africa, where deforestation and poor town planning has put residents at risk.