Following the terrible event that played out last week in Sierra Leone, where a mudslide flood made more than 3000 people became homeless, 499 people were killed and up to 600 went missing.

"It is difficult to know the precise number of victims," says a volunteer body rescuer, Fessellie Marah, "because so many bodies were broken apart. We are still finding body parts in the rubble".

KINGSLEYWU.com.ng reported the news last week, see it HERE.

Journalist Olivia Acland from BBC has spoken to some of the survivors.

'I froze and watched as the whole hill came down'

A half-broken devastated house is seen at the bottom of the hill in Regent where the drastic event erupted from.

The caretaker of the building, Alfred Johnny, being confused, walks round the building smoking a cigarettes and also making phone calls. The event that placed out killed three of his friends, as they were stuck after the hillside collapsed.

"I am living in the little house at the back," indicating the broken house.

"The big house belongs to my brother. He lives in Australia. It was my job to look after the place. Two workers and an engineer were staying there, fixing the drive that leads to the house.

"I was standing on the veranda when the mudslide happened. I heard a cracking noise. It was so loud, it sounded like dynamite. Then rocks started coming down. One landed close to me and I fell down. My body was shaking uncontrollably.

"I tried to run and open the front door of the house and get the others out but more rocks kept coming. It was impossible to move anywhere.

"I froze and watched as the whole hill came down. Heavy stones were slapping the sides of the houses and they were falling. Everywhere people were screaming. I watched until every last house had collapsed," Mr Johnny says.

After showing the valuables that was destroyed by the flood, he sings, "Oh God help Salone [Sierra Leone], oh father help Salone, save this land we love".

Johnny tried to put back his house in order by cleaning the mud and doing others things needed to be done.

'I saw the damage, I knew that my family was gone'

Moving forward, a middle-aged man and woman who were sitting silent at the pile of gravel looking sad.

'I saw the damage, I knew that my family was gone'

SEE PHOTOS HERE: http://www.kingsleyiwu.com.ng/2017/08/see-new-photos-of-damages-mudslide.html

The woman, Yatta Kamara, says:

"I lost 14 members of my family. I had left the house that evening to go and collect rice from my aunt's place because we didn't have anything to eat and I needed to feed the children.

"When I arrived at my aunt's house, the rain was heavy so she told to stay the night and return in the morning.

"The next morning at 06:30 I was washing, preparing to go home. A neighbour came running to me saying: 'The mountain has collapsed, your house and your family have been buried'.

"I ran home as fast as I could and saw big crowds of people and the whole area turned to mud. As soon as I saw the damage I knew that my family was gone," Ms Kamara says.

She ran him to get photos of the people that lost their lives, even her four children and little grandson.

"That's my youngest daughter, Jeneba," pointing her little girl of six years.

She looked at the damages done by the drastic event and says for the second time "I lost everything."


Down by the river, in Kaningo community, Abdul Mansaray trying to readdress his house by cleaning the mud, also with his two friends.

Standing and pointing at roof ceiling, he said:

'I escaped through a hole in the roof'

That's the hole we used to escape. There was water in my room when I woke up so I went to wake my wife, children and brother.

"We tried to leave the house through the main door. By that time the water was getting higher, almost reaching my knee. We couldn't open the front door because there was water on both sides.

"We went to the back door and couldn't open it either. I looked around and saw a stick - the one we use for pounding spices.

"I broke the ceiling with that stick and with the help of my brother, pulled myself up onto the roof. Up on the roof I could see people's properties floating past.

"There was a ladder floating, so I got down and reached it. I passed it through the hole in the roof so my wife, children, and brother could climb out.

"We stayed on my neighbour's balcony watching the water get higher and higher. Thank God we all survived, though I lost my money and every possession".

Sad

The last narrator was quite lucky, to have survived with his family, sure sounds like testimony. May God comfort those who have lost their loved ones in that disaster.

I feel so sad every time I remember this tragedy. I wonder how the victims will cope. May God help them all.