World
20:51, 14-Aug-2017
Over 300 dead in Sierra Leone mudslide with fears it could rise still higher
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Hundreds of people are thought to have been killed in a mudslide which happened on the outskirts of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, on Monday, Vice President Victor Foh said.
The side of a hill collapsed in the Regent district early on Monday following heavy rain, leaving many houses completely covered in mud.
"It is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble," Foh said, adding that a number of illegal buildings had been built in the area.
A Twitter user posts images showing people wading through streets, waist-deep in muddy water in Freetown, Sierra Leone. /Twitter Photo
A Twitter user posts images showing people wading through streets, waist-deep in muddy water in Freetown, Sierra Leone. /Twitter Photo
Red Cross spokesman Patrick Massaquoi told AFP the death toll was 312 but could rise further as his team continued to survey disaster areas in Freetown and tally the number of the dead.
An official death toll is not immediately available.
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