A devastating incident occurred in the Rogbangban community in the Western Area Rural District early this morning, August 21, 2024. AYV News reported that following a heavy downpour, a perimeter fence collapsed onto a nearby house, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to at least four others.
The Western Area Rural District is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone, located mostly around the peninsula in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. The district capital and largest city is Waterloo, and other major towns in the district include Newton, Benguema, Leicester, Tombo, and Regent.
According to Councillor Zechariah Kanneh of the Western Area Rural District Council, the fence, which belonged to a nearby mansion, lost its stability and fell onto the house where the victims were sleeping. An elderly woman and her child are reported to have lost their lives and have been taken to the mortuary.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMS) is yet to issue a statement on the incident. The community is in shock, and residents are calling for measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. An investigation into the incident is underway.