Rescue workers in Sierra Leone continue to search for more survivors after a seven-storey building collapsed in the capital Freetown, killing at least eight people.
According to the West African country’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), six people have been rescued from the rubble on Shell New Road so far, but “more people are still trapped”.
It added that some of those trapped in the rubble were able to “communicate their location” to rescuers.
The building in eastern Freetown collapsed between 11:00 and 12:00 local time (12:00 and 13:00 BST) on Monday, the NDMA said. Two girls and a boy – all under the age of five – were among the victims.
Two cranes have been deployed to assist rescue teams who were earlier seen using pickaxes and their bare hands to clear the wreckage.
Local resident Mohamed Camara cried as he told AFP news agency that his wife and three children were trapped under the rubble.
An investigation is underway into the cause of the collapse.
According to initial assessments by the NDMA, the building was used for both residential and commercial purposes.
Brima Sesay, director of the agency, stressed the need to “raise public awareness of the risks associated with the use of unqualified contractors and inferior quality building materials.”
He also said his agency “will continue to conduct vulnerability assessments to reduce the frequency of building collapses across the country.”
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world and buildings are often constructed with inferior quality materials.
