By: Francis F. M. Harding
Seven people lost their lives and many made homeless in the morning of 11 September 2022, when two massive concrete fences fell down on residents living in the neighbourhoods of Spur Loop and Seaview, following two days of torrential rainfall that caused the fences to collapse.
After about five hours of heavy rainfall, the landslide came down at N’jagelema and back of Country Lodge through a waterway and wiped fences which collapsed and killed residents in the neighbourhoods. N’jagelema and Country Lodge are relatively new settlements which emerged as a result of the rapid urbanisation of Freetown.
At least seven people have been reported dead within the N’jagelema, and back of Country Lodge. Some other people who were injured have been taken to the hospital as torrential rain hit Freetown and most of the nearby residents were forced to abandon their homes in search of safer spots.
The incidents in the two areas occurred when a perimeter fences collapsed and people died under the rubble. Residents in the community managed to remove people from the rubble.
At N’jagelema, those that died in the wreckage included a nurse by the name Aminatu Vincent, her sister Mariama and her two-month child while her husband was rescued alive and taken to the hospital, and at Country Lodge a boy and girl died.
Upon arrival on the ground at N’jagelema Spur Loop, Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr cautioned the youth as they were about to enter the compound where the fence collapsed one of which happened to be the compound where Isha Johansen resides as when the disaster happened the residents did not come to help them but switched off their outside light for the community people not see their way out; they later started videoing the scene. “I am your mother of the city I am with you,” the FCC Mayor noted.
The house is owned by a woman called Isha Beckley who resides in the United States. “It is good the authorities have come we would have burnt the house,” some angry youths at the scene.
The Director General of National Disaster Management Agency underscored, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Brima B. Sesay “I am not an architect; but by way of looking, the fence is a possible death trap for more disaster.” He added that he would send his team to go and do some assessment at the scene of the incident.
The community people who spoke to Forum said they appealed to owner to ensure she construct an access road in the vicinity but she negated their suggestion, overpowered the community and erected the fence without any retailing wall.
They said the wall had blocked the waterway, which caused the area to flood with the rain water that caused the fence to collapse and kill the people.
Sunday’s incident followed days of downpours across the city.
Authorities who visited the scene included the officials of the National Disaster Management Agency headed by the Director General Brima Sesay, the Freetown City Council headed by Her Lordship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the National Fire Force, the Lumley Police Division headed by the Ops officer, chiefs, youths and other community stakeholders.
They say history exists to teach the past and guide the future. But is this really true in the case of Sierra Leone?
The Meteorological Agency was establihed through law in 2017 with its full mandate to provide meteorological and climate service throughout Sierra Leone wheather focus and to present reports to partners to make Sierra Leoneans to have knowledge of the patterns of rains.
MET-SL advice the country that there are areas in the country that are vulnurable to stronge wings, sea level rise, land degredation.
MET-SL said though it has been changing in the weather pattern as it used to be six months rains and six months dry. MET-SL maintains that are a lots looking at hydrological side on water system within the country as they give daily weather focast to the public.
MET-SL also said that June, July, August and September there was going to be likelihood of flooding and in September stronger winds is going to prevelent. Every year, intense rains fall throughout the country and the country so historically accustomed to heavy rainfall.
A common threat to Freetown is the rapid rate of urbanization, coupled with the increased rate of deforestation. Evidence is clear that climate change is changing weather patterns, increasing the frequencies and intensities of extreme weather events. Unfortunately, those in the poorest communities are disproportionately affected.
