Announcements

Honourable Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh yesterday Tuesday 17th September, 2024 visited the scene of a tragic building collapse in Kissy, East End Freetown that has reportedly bclaimed ten lives and left many others trapped under the rubble.
The seven-story building, which is located on Bai Bureh Road, New Shell, Kissy, crumbled earlier on Monday 16th September, 2024 between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Initial reports from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) confirmed the deaths of ten victims—two males and eight females—including a seven-year-old boy, six women and two young girls under the age of five.

So far, seven survivors—two females and five males—have been pulled from the rubble and are receiving treatment at the Rokupa Government Hospital and Choithrams Hospital.

Vice President Juldeh Jalloh was expected to personally assess the rescue efforts and offer government support to the victims’ families.
VP Juldeh Jalloh visited the Rokupa Government Hospital to see firsthand the victims recovering from injuries.

Addressing Journalists and the community, VP Juldeh Jalloh said the priority at that stage was to vigorously pursue the search and rescue mission with additional human and material support.

He recalled that the two collapsed building incidents in recent times had demonstrated the urgency to enforce building standards even if they entailed demolition.
Rescue teams are racing against time to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble, with some survivors managing to communicate their locations to authorities. However, the operation has been hindered by the difficult terrain surrounding the collapsed structure.

The ill-fated building, owned by non-resident Bailor Barrie, was used for both residential and commercial purposes. According to eyewitness accounts and early investigations, the collapse is being attributed to poor construction practices and the use of substandard building materials—a recurrent issue in Freetown’s infrastructure failures.

Vice President Jalloh’s visit underscores the urgency of the crisis, with authorities pledging swift action to address the widespread problem of unsafe buildings in the capital.

The Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Brima Sesay, emphasized that many other structures across the city are at risk and warned residents of the dangers posed by these unstable buildings.

As rescue efforts continue, the focus now shifts to providing aid to survivors and preventing further tragedies by enforcing stricter building regulations.