By Mohamed Lamin Banya & Sheku Mohamed Sillah

Director of Disaster Management in the Office of National Security (ONS) John Rogers has disclosed that they have identified cracks around the Fadika Drive, Samura Drive, Mortomeh, Bangbayila and Madina at Regent Village.

The cracks according to him were reported by the community people, who have also identified 40 houses standing close to these cracks and therefore prone to any future natural disaster.

It could be recalled that on 14 August, 2017 Sierra Leone woke up to a devastating mudslide at the Regent Village Mortomeh community where hundreds of people lost their lives, many more still missing, houses destroyed and property worth millions equally destroyed and many families displaced.

According to John Rogers the ONS is working to ensure that the lives of the people in the Mortomeh mudslide site and other disaster sites are safe from any future occurrence.

He said the country suffered a similar situation two years ago and after the incident efforts were made to ensure that institutions were brought onboard to stabilize the site.

He added that, UNOPS has been working at the site to ensure that the slope is stabilized, noting that it was snips that led to the disaster.

“UNOPS has made significant efforts and I go there every two weeks to determine what exactly has been done” he said, adding that the ONS is going to report the extent and length and breadth of the cracks.

He went on to say that some houses have been impacted from the initial assessment they conducted and that they will be required to have an engagement with the owners.

The cracks according to him occurred along a drive called Samura Drive which stretches down to the Mortomeh area, citing that the Western Area Peninsular Forest stretches across the length and breadth of that particular region.

Head Woman for Regent Village Elenorah Jokemie Metzger said she was informed by youth in the community that they saw cracks leading to the Mortomeh area, adding that when she went to the place she realized that a large rock split into two had rolled down.

The crack according to the community people leads up to Fadika Drive, and is dangerous and therefore the residents should be evacuated before disaster occurs.

These cracks have made a very big gutter that runs up to the main road leading to Bangbayila, and the back of Fadika Drive.

AYV is doing a follow-up with the ONS and the community people to know the way forward.