Mass burials held for unidentified Sierra Leone mudslide victims

Unidentified victims of the devastating floods are laid to rest, as fears grow over the threat of the spread of disease.

Mass burials held for deadly Sierra Leone mudslide victims

Hundreds of bodies have been removed from the mortuary in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown overnight after devastating mudslides.
There is now serious concern that diseases like cholera or typhoid could spread, and so the priority is for burials to take place as soon as possible.
Taxis and ambulances arrive at the morgue, with coffins and flowers in the back.
The bodies that have been identified will get the dignity of a private funeral service. The rest, however, will receive a mass burial at Waterloo cemetery, where the victims of Ebola were buried only three years ago.
The graveyard is 18 miles away from Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown. Buses are being put on for the families of the victims to pay their respects.
Hundreds of men have been at work digging separate burial plots for a funeral which President Ernest Bai Koroma is expected to attend.
At the city's main hospital those who managed to survive the mudslides are being treated.
Rickety metal beds, covered with mosquito nets, line both sides of the ward. Three women, who dug their way out of the rubble, sit there battered and bruised.
Isatu Sisi, who is pregnant, managed to survive, along with her 16-year-old daughter. But she lost 16 members of her family, including her sister and many other children.
She said: "My house was flattened. The mountain split in two like fire. It was so loud.
"My children were petrified and ran to me telling me the mountain was coming down... I still don't know where my husband is. But 16 members of my family are gone."
Huge boulders were among the hundreds of tons of earth that came down on Sugar Loaf Mountain
Unable to walk and with no home, Isatu has no idea what the future holds. All she can focus on is getting better for her unborn child.
The mudslides and flooding struck early on Monday, with many victims trapped in their homes in low-lying areas of Freetown and surrounding settlements.
Hundreds were killed and thousands of people are believed to be missing.
The recovery effort on Sugar Loaf mountain continues. Officials say there is no hope of finding anyone alive, but the aim now is to remove dead bodies from the scene.
By;Worldcoinsmoney.blogspot.com

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