by Wareez Odunayo

Over 300 people have been reported dead after heavy rains led to landslides in the West African nation of Sierra Leone on Monday. Houses were submerged in mud after a night of heavy rain that saw a hillside in the Regent area collapse.

Relatives were left digging through mud in search of their loved ones, as a mortuary in the capital of Freetown was overwhelmed by corpses.

According to Red Cross officials, 312 were confirmed dead while at least 100 properties had been submerged and some had collapsed after a section of a mountain came down.

An estimated 2,000 people have also been made homeless after heavy rains caused properties to disappear under water.

A precise death toll is not yet clear and is likely to rise as many people might have been asleep when the mudslide happened in the early hours of Monday.

Speaking at the scene, Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Victor Foh, said, “The disaster is so serious that I myself feel broken. We’re trying to cordon (off) the area (and) evacuate the people, it is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble.”

Editor