Sierra Leone: President Koroma urges calm as rescuers search for mudslide survivors

Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma has called for unity as the country faces one of the worst natural disasters to hit the capital Freetown.

In a televised address to the nation late Monday, President Koroma assured citizens that emergency services were doing all they could after heavy flooding and mudslides left more than 300 people dead and over 2,000 lost their homes.
“This tragedy of great magnitude has once again challenged us to come together, to stand by each other and to help one another,” he said, appealing to a country still recovering from the catastrophic effects of deadly Ebola outbreak.

Koroma urged those living in areas prone to mudslides to move to safer grounds. He announced that an emergency response center had been set up at Regent, the worst-affected area.
Torrential rains, that lasted more than 20 hours, led to flooding and collapse of a hillside in Regent, a mountainous town about 24 kilometers (15 miles) east of Freetown, submerging houses and sweeping away others.

Many of the victims were asleep when the disaster struck.

Koroma said more centers have been set up in the city to register those left homeless.
He praised the Red Cross volunteers, the fire services, police and military for their response in tracing and digging up those trapped.

“Let me urge everyone to remain calm and to avoid disaster-prone areas while we continue to address this grave emergency,” he said.
The president’s address came shortly after he chaired an emergency cabinet meeting to address the situation.

Authorities are yet to give an official casualty figure, but hospital sources and emergency aid agencies say that more than 300 people have been killed.

Source: Agencies