By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/in-sierra-leone-hundreds-killed-by-flooding-mudslides Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter VIDEO: In Sierra Leone, hundreds killed by flooding, mudslides World Aug 15, 2017 1:42 PM EDT WATCH LIVE: 300 people are reported dead and another 600 missing after torrential rains led to a dangerous mudslide in Sierra Leone. NewsHour sits down with Idalia Amaya, head of programs for Sierra Leone at Catholic Relief Services to discuss aid efforts in the region. Have questions? Drop them in the comments below. Posted by PBS NewsHour on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 The PBS NewsHour’s Hari Sreenivasan talks to Catholic Relief Service’s Idalia Amaya about the area’s destruction and aid needs. Many remained buried in their homes Tuesday after a massive rain-induced landslide tore through a town near Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown. At least 300 people were killed and 600 missing from the flooding and mudslides, according to the Red Cross. In addition, at least 6,000 people were made homeless from the onslaught. “We are also fearful of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid,” from the flood waters, Sierra Red Cross Society spokesman Abu Bakarr Tarawallie told Reuters. Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma said the government and aid groups had set up an emergency response center to coordinate the disaster response. “It is a tragedy for every Sierra Leonean because the people who have perished in this disaster are our compatriots. Every single family, every single ethnic group, every single region is either directly or indirectly affected by this disaster,” he said. Residents survey the damages from a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone, on Aug. 14. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters Residents save belongings in the floodwaters in Regent. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters Rescue workers search for survivors in Regent. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters About 600 people are missing in the flooded region of Sierra Leone. Photo from Red Cross/Handout via Reuters By — Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko Larisa Epatko produced multimedia web features and broadcast reports with a focus on foreign affairs for the PBS NewsHour. She has reported in places such as Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, Haiti, Sudan, Western Sahara, Guantanamo Bay, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Turkey, Germany and Ireland. @NewsHourWorld
WATCH LIVE: 300 people are reported dead and another 600 missing after torrential rains led to a dangerous mudslide in Sierra Leone. NewsHour sits down with Idalia Amaya, head of programs for Sierra Leone at Catholic Relief Services to discuss aid efforts in the region. Have questions? Drop them in the comments below. Posted by PBS NewsHour on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 The PBS NewsHour’s Hari Sreenivasan talks to Catholic Relief Service’s Idalia Amaya about the area’s destruction and aid needs. Many remained buried in their homes Tuesday after a massive rain-induced landslide tore through a town near Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown. At least 300 people were killed and 600 missing from the flooding and mudslides, according to the Red Cross. In addition, at least 6,000 people were made homeless from the onslaught. “We are also fearful of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid,” from the flood waters, Sierra Red Cross Society spokesman Abu Bakarr Tarawallie told Reuters. Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma said the government and aid groups had set up an emergency response center to coordinate the disaster response. “It is a tragedy for every Sierra Leonean because the people who have perished in this disaster are our compatriots. Every single family, every single ethnic group, every single region is either directly or indirectly affected by this disaster,” he said. Residents survey the damages from a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone, on Aug. 14. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters Residents save belongings in the floodwaters in Regent. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters Rescue workers search for survivors in Regent. Photo by Ernest Henry/Reuters About 600 people are missing in the flooded region of Sierra Leone. Photo from Red Cross/Handout via Reuters