Mudslide disaster: 400 corpses in Freetown morgue

Some 400 corpses have been taken to a mortuary in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown after a desperate search and rescue operation resumed on Tuesday following Monday’s devastating mudslide.

Over 600 people are thought to be missing, believed to be trapped under the mudslide in Regent, a suburb of Freetown where the tragedy struck as heavy torrential rains pounded the city on Sunday and Monday.

Over 150 people had died including whole families in the moment a hill in Regent caved in after several hours of heavy rain, leaving over 3,000 more homeless.

A local journalist told the African Press Agency that there were chaotic scenes at the city’s main mortuary on Tuesday as grief-stricken relatives scrambled to identify dead bodies.

She said a deep sense of grief hangs over Freetown where residents have joined the search for lost ones by digging through the mud sometimes using their bare hands.

The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered by Red Cross workers who also expressed fear about the possibility of water-borne disease outbreaks.

In an address to the nation, President Ernest Bai Koroma has declared the tragedy as a monumental disaster for his country and appealed for help from the international community to deal with the aftermath.

Poor housing and town planning in Sierra Leone’s capital have exacerbated the challenges caused by yearly mudslides which are common during the rainy season and lasts to nine months a year.