Rescuers in Sierra Leone are continuing to search for survivors after a seven-storey building collapsed in the capital Freetown, killing at least eight people.
The West African nation’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said six people had so far been rescued from the rubble on Shell New Road, but “many are still trapped”.
The report added that some people 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 were brought in to assist rescue teams, who were earlier seen using picks and their bare hands to try to clear the rubble.
Local resident Mohamed Camara wept as he told AFP news agency that his wife and three children were trapped in the rubble.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
According to NDMA’s initial assessment, the building is used for both residential and commercial purposes.
The head of the agency, Brima Sesay, stressed the need to raise “public awareness of the risks associated with the use of unqualified contractors and poor quality building materials”.
He also said his agency “will continue to conduct vulnerability assessments to help 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 of poor quality materials.
