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21 August 2017, 12:52

Death toll from mudslide disaster in Sierra Leone rises to 499

BEIJING, 21 August (BelTA - Xinhua) - The number of bodies recovered after a mudslide and flooding hit Sierra Leone on Aug. 14 has reached 499, Sierra Leonean media reported Sunday.

Victims include 162 males, 163 females, 156 children and an additional 18, Awoko Newspaper reported.

A hillside collapsed in heavy rains in the early hours of Aug. 14, killing residents and destroying homes near or on the outskirts of Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone, and leaving more than 2,000 others homeless.

Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma on Tuesday declared seven days of mourning across the country with immediate effect.

Humanitarian aid is coming in from countries including China, Morocco, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for people affected by the disaster.

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