By M’balu Little Kamara
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has officially completed the search and rescue operations at the scene of the collapsed seven-story building at 57 Bai Bureh Road, Shell New Road Freetown. The building collapsed on September 16th, 2024 between the hours of 11am and 12pm.
NDMA concluded the search and rescue operations with a briefing session held at the site with all stakeholders in the community on the evening of September 22nd, 2024.
The agency responded to the incident by mobilizing various government agencies, NGOs and other private sector partners to carry out the search and rescue operations and assist those trapped under the debris.
According to NDMA, a total of about 24 individuals were recovered, among them 16 fatalities including children between the ages of five and ten, teenagers and adults.
Among the eight people rescued were also children under the age of five, teenagers and adults. Five of these were hospitalized at the nearby Rokupa Government Hospital and have since been discharged. The remaining three are still under treatment at Choithram Hospital, NDMA said in a statement. It assured the general public that it will continue to monitor and provide updates regarding the progress of the three individuals at Choithraam Hospital.
According to NDMA, families of the deceased victims were allowed to access the bodies of their loved ones for burial.
The agency recognized the role various government agencies and private sectors played in the search and rescue operations. It singled out the Gento Group of Companies for leading the rescue efforts by providing machinery, fuel and personnel all through the operation. Other private companies like the Marampa Mines Limited, JP Logistics and Sierra Rutile Limited also contributed by providing environmental safety experts, machinery and fuel to support the rescue efforts.
NDMA also mentioned that various government agencies like the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, the Sierra Leone Police, and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, provided critical support through security, medical care, among others.
M’balu Little Kamara is an intern at ManoReporters and she is a final year student at the Mass Communication Department at Central University in Mile 91.
