Toll in Sierra Leone landslide may go up

The death toll from massive mudslides in Sierra Leone’s capital was certain to rise on Tuesday as workers searched for an untold number of people buried in their homes.

Authorities say more than 300 were killed in and around Freetown on Monday following heavy rains. Many victims were trapped under tons of mud as they slept.

Some rescue workers and volunteers were digging through the mud and debris with their bare hands in a desperate search for missing relatives. Military personnel have been deployed to help with the operation in the impoverished West African nation.

More bodies were expected to be found as floodwaters receded.

Initial Red Cross estimates have said as many as 3,000 people are left homeless and the figure is expected to rise. Communications and electricity also have been affected.

The mortuary at Connaught Hospital has been overwhelmed by the number of dead, with bodies spread out on the floor.

The Sierra Leone National Broadcasting Corp showed people trying to retrieve the bodies of relatives, and others carrying the dead to the morgue in rice sacks. The president’s office released a statement encouraging people to relocate to safer parts of Freetown and sign up at registration centers. The office made no mention of a death toll.

“In places, entire communities seem to have been washed away and whatever is left is covered in mud,” said Abdul Nasir, programme coordinator for Red Cross and Red Crescent. AP