FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – A local leader and a minister in Sierra Leone say more than 1,000 people have died in the mudslide and flood that hit the country’s capital nearly two weeks ago.
The government earlier put the death toll for the Aug. 14 mudslide at 450. Rescuers and aid groups warned that more than 600 people still missing from the disaster would likely not survive.
Get daily National news
READ MORE: Sierra Leone mudslides death toll climbs above 400
Elenoroh Jokomie Metzger, head of the women of Regent village, said more than 1,000 perished, though the exact number would never be known. She spoke during a Sunday remembrance ceremony.
- Impact of extreme heat ‘underestimated’ on those 60 and older: Lancet study
- Has there been an increase in big earthquakes worldwide this year?
- Canadian wildfire season has “accelerated significantly”: officials
- Summerland residents begin returning home as roughly 1,200 properties cleared for re-entry
Reverend Bishop Emeritus Arnold Temple, who leads a Methodist church near Regent, said the country was mourning well over 1,000 victims.
Rescue and recovery efforts have continued as heavy rain brings the threat of another disaster.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.