Eight confirmed dead in freetown building collapse

At least eight people has confirmed dead  after a seven-storey building collapsed on Monday in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on Monday.

Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors as several individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), six people have been rescued from the collapse site on Shell New Road.

The NDMA has also reported that some of those trapped have managed to communicate their locations to the rescuers. Among the victims are two girls and a boy, all under the age of five.

The collapse occurred between 11:00 and 12:00 local time on Monday. The building contained both residential and commercial spaces.

Two cranes have been brought in to assist with the rescue efforts, while earlier attempts to clear the debris were carried out using hand tools and manual labor.

Local resident Mohamed Camara, in an emotional interview with AFP, shared that his wife and three children remain trapped under the wreckage.

The cause of the building’s collapse remains under investigation.

Brima Sesay, head of the NDMA, emphasized the need for increased public awareness regarding the risks of employing unqualified contractors and using substandard building materials.

“We will continue conducting vulnerability assessments to help reduce the frequency of building collapses across the country,” Sesay said.

Sierra Leone, one of the world’s poorest nations, continues to struggle with issues related to infrastructure and construction quality, often resulting in buildings being constructed with inadequate materials.