500
killed in Sierra Leone
mudslides.
The death toll from a devastating
landslide and flooding that hit Sierra
Leone earlier this week has risen to
nearly 500, according to hospital
officials.
More than 600 people remained
missing on Sunday, with rescue
officials warning that the chances of
finding survivors are decreasing each
day.
The death toll earlier stood at 450.
One of Africa's worst flooding-related
disasters in years occurred when the
side of Mount Sugar Loaf collapsed on
Monday after heavy rain, burying parts
of Regent town on the outskirts of the
capital, Freetown.
Churches across the country held
special services on Sunday in memory
of those killed.
Authorities this week buried 461
bodies in quickly-dug graves in the
nearby Waterloo cemetery.
Six days after the mudslide, at least
10,000 people have already been
forced from their homes.
The government has called for the
evacuation of another 10,000 people
living on an unstable hillside in
Freetown, where a large crack has
opened.
'It took everything away'
Displaced survivors have been
returning to where their homes once
stood to search for missing loved ones
and retrieve belongings.
For some, the scenes of the
catastrophe are still fresh.
Sierra Leone calls for international help following deadly floods
"It was so strong," Bakary Conte, a
hillside resident told Al Jazeera. "It
took everything away. There is nothing
to save.
I am afraid."
Improvised centres have been set up
by aid agencies to help those affected.
Foreign aid from the rest of the world
is being sent to Freetown, according to
authorities.
Aid groups are providing clean water
as a health crisis looms.
Shelters for those displaced are yet to
be organised and for the moment, only
milk and bread are being distributed
to the affected community.
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