Torrential Rains Kill 20 in Southern Sierra Leone
Date: 19-Aug-05
Country: SIERRA LEONE
"The death toll has risen to 20 and more houses are being destroyed by floods after disastrous heavy rains in the Pujehun district," a government official in the capital Freetown said.
A team of rescue workers from the Sierra Leonean navy, Red Cross and the UN mission in the country had flown by helicopter to the region, which lies near the Atlantic coast around 300 km (185 miles) south of Freetown, the official said.
About 600 people had been saved from flooded villages, but some 15,000 more were still waiting for help. Some families had managed to rescue themselves by canoeing to nearby villages or climbing trees.
