Sierra Leoneans ordered to stay at home due to floods

 

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Image caption Freetown's coastal area of Kroo Bay is one of those affected by the flooding

Sierra Leone's government has ordered people to stay at home after flooding killed four people and damaged parts of the capital, Freetown.

But it says that those in "vulnerable areas" close to the coast and on hill tops should move to a safer place.
Emergency accommodation for those already made homeless has been set up at the national football stadium.
The government has warned that heavy rains are forecast for the next six days.

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An unknown number of people have been injured and the government says it is deploying extra health staff.

Image caption Some streets and homes have been washed away in the rains

The security services have rescued people in the coastal areas where the informal settlements have been hardest hit, reports the BBC's Umaru Fofana from Freetown.
The country's main referral hospital, the Connaught Hospital, has also been affected as operations have been cancelled because the theatre has been flooded, our correspondent says.
The government says that the only people exempt from the stay-at-home order, apart from those working in essential services, are school children who are currently sitting their public exams.