By Amara Thoronka and Sulaiman Jalloh
President Julius Maada Bio has assured government’s support for victims of the recent 7-storey building collapse at Shell New Road, east Freetown. The collapse of the building, housing several people and shops, occurred on Monday, 16th September, 2024, at a time the President had departed the country for United Kingdom where he is expected to deliver the keynote address at this year’s OpenAg Symposium organized by the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development at Oxford university.
“I am saddened to learn about the collapse of a building at Shell, Kissy, east of Freetown. This is a devastating loss. My deepest condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones today. We will muster all our efforts to rescue, where possible, and provide all the support for survivors,” President Bio wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He noted that the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) is leading government’s efforts to pull out people trapped under the rubble. He reassured survivors and families of those who lost their lives in the incident of “full support of my government”.
The President said his government will launch a “full-scale inquiry into this disaster and do all we can to prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy”.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh had also visited the scene on behalf of President Bio, pledging government’s commitment to rescue more people.
As of the morning hours of Tuesday, 17th September, 2024, the National Disaster Management Agency confirmed the death of nine people and seven hospitalized as search and rescue mission is ongoing.
The NDMA said on Monday that it received an emergency call on the day of the incident reporting the collapse of a seven-story building located at 57 Bai Bureh Road, Shell New Road, adding that the building, owned by Bailor Barrie, a non-resident of Sierra Leone, was used for both residential and commercial purposes, according to initial assessments and eyewitness accounts.
The NDMA reported that, in collaboration with the Freetown City Council and other partners, two private cranes have been assigned to assist with the ongoing rescue operations.
The country’s disaster agency assured that it remains committed to the rescue efforts, hoping to recover more victims trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
Several building-collapse incidents have occurred, especially in Freetown, as the country continues to experience frequent heavy downpour. The frequent building collapse has also been linked to substandard building materials imported into the country.
According to the Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency (MDMA), Lt. Gen. (Rtd). Brima Sesay, a total of 16 people have been identified by the rescue team with 9 confirmed dead while 7 are said to be undergoing medical treatment. Among those confirmed dead is a four-month-old baby.
The county’s Vice President, Dr. Mohammed Juldeh Jalloh visited the scene and assured government’s continued efforts to search and rescue those under the debris while extending his condolences to the bereaved families.
At the early hours of Monday, September 16, 2024 at the east end of the county’s capital Freetown, a seven-storied building collapsed, affecting lives and properties, including four other houses and a mosque. “The government will set up an investigation to know the course of the collapse of buildings,” Dr. Juldeh Jalloh assured, noting that the country has experienced more rain with less reported flooding but more casualties; emphasizing government’s commitment to mitigate disaster in the country.
The Vice President said five of the injured are admitted at the Rokupa Government Hospital while the two, who are in a critical condition, are hospitalized at Choithram Hospital. He added that heavy rains weaken buildings, especially upstairs buildings and that the Ministry of Lands is trying to introduce something he called building codes, while stressing that the Lands Ministry will be given more strength to monitor the construction of houses in the country.
Dr. Jalloh visited one of the hospitals where he engaged the hospital management and the victims. Speaking to pressmen at the Rokupa Government Hospital, VP Jalloh noted that some additional personnel have been deployed at the scene and that the government will continue to provide the required medical attention needed by the victims. “We will continue to search for and rescue people and we will give maximum care for the injured in the hospital by providing the required medical assistance” he said, adding there will be compliance enforcement and demolition of buildings of defaulters.
Dr. Alpha Karim Sheriff, a doctor at the hospital, assured that they have the required equipment to take care of the victims as they have put on all machines to provide them full attention.
Earlier, NDMA Director General, while giving the statistics of the incident, said one of their staff sustained injury while providing rescue service.
Michelle Kanu, a resident of the community who recounts the works of MDMA and other players, said as young people in that part of the country, they have initiated a rescue team to complement government’s efforts. “I was able to galvanize my fellow youths to complement government’s efforts,” he stated, while thanking authorities for their support.
The seven-storey building is among the many buildings that have collapsed since the beginning of this year’s rainy season. Authorities are yet to officially disclose the cause of the frequent building collapse but some schools of thought have linked it to substandard building materials imported into the country.
