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VICE News

At Least 1,000 Dead or Missing Following Sierra Leone Mudslide

The government called for seven days of mourning and pleaded for urgent international help saying it has been “overwhelmed” by the tragedy.

Up to 1,000 people are dead or missing after a devastating mudslide in the capital of Sierra Leone Freetown, with thousands more left without a home. The government called for seven days of mourning and pleaded for urgent international help saying it has been "overwhelmed" by the tragedy. If the government does not act quickly, aid agencies warned, things could get worse.

The mudslide hit Freetown Monday, wiping away hundreds of houses and burying victims as they slept. The government confirmed to BBC Wednesday that the official death toll had almost reached 400, but warned that at least 600 more were still missing. The Red Cross estimates that at least 3,000 people have been left homeless.

The hilltop area of Regent in Freetown was worst hit when heavier-than-normal rains resulted in part of the Sugar Loaf mountain collapsing. The natural catastrophe was exacerbated by an unprepared response, which had received no warning by the country's meteorological department of such risks ahead of time. Continue reading on VICE News.