Freetown from above. Photo: David Hond.
At least 330 dead after mudslide in Freetown
(LWI) In the aftermath of a devastating mudslide in Freetown, Sierra Leone, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has offered condolences to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone (ELCSL), an LWF member church.
“It is with deep sadness that we learnt about the devastating disaster that has hit your country especially in the communities around Freetown,” LWF World Service Director Maria Immonen writes to the church, on behalf of LWF General Secretary Rev Dr Martin Junge.
Following heavy rains, a mudslide on the outskirts of the capital Freetown claimed at least 330 lives on the outskirts of Freetown. Authorities have been evacuating people in the same area because of the possibility another, potentially larger, slide.
LWF promised to continue accompanying the church, as it deals with the tragedy. The Christian Council in Sierra Leone has requested and received rapid response funds for humanitarian assistance from the ACT Alliance.
“We continue to stand in solidarity with all the people of Sierra Leone joining the words of Apostle Paul: “May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13)”, the letter concludes.
Photo by David Hond. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
