Authorities in Waterloo and beyond, including the Western Area Rural District Council and the Waterloo Community Health Center, have confirmed zero death cases during yesterday’s floods in the township of Waterloo.
This is contrary to social media reports yesterday.
The floods however destroyed properties and businesses running into millions of leones.
According to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency, there were no fatalities during the floods in Waterloo.
“The three individuals, two adults and one child, reported as deceased were rescued by neighbors after falling from a guardrail into the waterway. One adult victim was briefly unconscious and was rushed to the ADRA Hospital in Waterloo, she has since regained consciousness and is responding to treatment,” a joint assessment report published earlier today by the two institutions stated.
The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency has attributed the flooding to “the significant cumulative rainfall of 59.2mm recorded from July 16-17, 2024.”
“The assessment team also identified other flood-related incidents, including the collapse of a school fence at Lorenzo Secondary School along the Allen Town-Waterloo Highway, posing risk to nearby properties and residents,” the report furthers, noting that “in collaboration with the Waterloo Police Division, the team instructed the school administration to demolish the entire fence to ensure community safety.”
Chairman Kasho J. Holland Cole of the Western Area Rural District Council, having sent his team to rescue victims and assessing the situation yesterday, has assured his commitment to correcting the error and placing the traders in a favorable emnvironment.
