By Alimamy Jalloh
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – A four-storey building located on a hilly site along Joshua Street in the Wellington community, east of Freetown, collapsed at midnight, causing widespread fear among nearby residents.
The building, situated behind the perimeter fence of the Sierra Leone International Mission School, came crashing down, but fortunately, no lives were lost as the structure was uninhabited.
Residents living close to the collapsed building, many of whom were already dealing with flooding and debris, were shocked by the sudden collapse. Community stakeholders confirmed to Awoko that no fatalities were recorded, and no one was found inside the structure.
Foday Fofanah, a caretaker living near the collapsed building, explained that the collapse was likely due to the construction of a temporary drainage on the steep site. The contractor had constructed this drainage along the pathway of Joshua Street, close to the pillar at the top of the ongoing four-storey building. This temporary measure was meant to divert running water that was seeping into the top floors of the building, compromising its foundation.
According to Fofanah, the building was originally intended to be expanded to five storeys before completion. However, just 15 minutes after the drainage was constructed, the entire four-storey structure unexpectedly collapsed. The collapse was triggered by the impact of a pillar near the footpath of Joshua Street, leading to the building’s immediate downfall.
The debris from the collapsed building landed dangerously close to nearby homes, but fortunately, no one was injured. Floodwaters from Joshua Street, exacerbated by the collapse, affected two additional residences opposite the building site.
The contractor, known as Mr. Jah, has been blamed for the disaster, with Fofanah stating that the temporary drainage, built during the heavy rains of August 2024, directly led to the building’s collapse.
“We are not safe right now because there are rocks hanging over the collapsed building with rubble underneath,” expressed concerned residents. “We are worried about what might happen next.”
The building’s construction was estimated to be worth over SLE 100 million, and the collapse has disrupted three key routes used by community members to access the main Bai Bureh Road.
A meeting between the building’s owner and the contractor, Mr. Jah, was scheduled for the day after the incident, according to Fofanah.
On the day of the collapse, the Sierra Leone Police in Wellington, the Red Cross, and other community stakeholders arrived at the scene. However, it remains unclear whether the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Office of National Security (ONS) responded to the incident.
Credit: Awoko
