The eastern part of the capital Freetown has been characterized with trauma and wailing after another long story building suddenly collapsed in a catastrophic structural failure, burying multiple floors and killing several families in Freetown.
The building collapsed around midday on Monday. But onto by Tuesday afternoon, only a few bodies had been recovered by rescue workers.
Chances to save the ‘lives’ of dozens of people trapped under the rubbles met significant challenges with rescue workers initially relying on hand tools and manpower to dig through the debris as they could not have available access for heavy equipment.
This left desperate victims’ relatives frustrated, more especially with the security officials initially preventing the community youth from getting involved in the rescue efforts.
As she cried endlessly on Tuesday afternoon, Aminata Jalloh yelled furiously at one security personnel: “please allow the youth.” Her sister, Fatmata Jalloh and all her children had been under the rubbles since Monday.
“We called and heard them. The youth tried to rescue one, but until now no other has been rescued since yesterday,” she explained in tears.
“They should have allowed the youth. Since yesterday, I have been saying this but they see me as a mad person,” Aminata cries.
“I know my sister’s window, ” she added, pointing at the rubbles and calling names: “Alimamy, Abdurahman, Mami, Magret and Franko, my family, my children… Aaaa! This is hurting me, she screamed again.
As she cries, Aminata asks those surrounding and consoling her about how her children could be doing under the rubbles with suffocation and no food and water, although she expressed hope that they could still be alive.
“My children have been under the rubble since yesterday. Allow the youth to get out my children. I want to give them food, water. They are not dead, she said, breaking down in tears.”
Aminata is one of many relatives of the trapped individuals reeling in pain. On Monday many of them who spoke to Concord Times said their love ones were still alive under the rubbles, and they were still responding to phone calls, screaming for help from beneath the rubble.
But lack of access ways for the heavy machines brought as response to the emergency and the overwhelming volume of debris hampered rescue efforts. The complexity of the situation was further worsened by the need to carefully remove wreckage to avoid the death of victims who may not have died.
It was a four story building situated at the main Bai Bureh Road with shops at the bottom floor, making it attractive for business.
All the shops and the apartments were occupied, according to a Shell resident, Mbalu Bangura whose sister was also under the rubble. “She’s calling me but she has no way to come out.”
Councilor of the Shell Community, Bompa Turay told Concord Times that the building collapsed because it was erected along waterway, and its foundation was weak, constructed with substandard materials.
By: Alfred Koroma
