King Jimmy Bridge collapse kills 6, more feared dead

The historic King Jimmy Bridge on Wallace-Johnson Street in the Peters Creek area of Freetown collapsed last night killing at least six people who were squatting under it. Politico visited the Connaught Hospital mortuary and counted the dead – all young men. Several others are feared trapped inside the rubble. President Ernest Bai Koroma visited the scene but State House is yet to make any official announcement on the collapse which happened amid a heavy downpour of rain. But people in the neighbourhood say the bridge had been showing some cracks recently and that they had duly reported to the authorities including the police nearby at Central. Local Red Cross volunteers and soldiers were on hand for what was effectively a recovery effort instead of a rescue effort. They dug out the dead with the help of a caterpillar before giving up amid the ceaseless rainfall. Questions are now being asked as to what is being done to address the housing difficulty in Sierra Leone. © Politico Online 09/08/13