Unreported World: Season 2017, Episode 11

2017 - 11: Africa's Perfect Storm

In a summer of hurricanes and floods around the world, the incident that has taken most lives has been little reported. On 14 August, torrential rain triggered a huge mudslide that destroyed the small town of Regent on the outskirts of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown. Some estimates put the number of dead at over 1000, and the difficulties in recovering bodies means that the true figure may never be known. Reporter Seyi Rhodes travelled to the country just days after the mudslide, witnessing the terrible destruction and spending time with the survivors and rescue teams as he investigated the causes and devastating results of this natural disaster. His report provides a moving, first-hand perspective from the people whose families and homes have been torn apart.