Another multi-story building collapsed on Monday along the busy Bai Bureh Road, Shell, killing several people. It was a four-story building with shops on the ground floor, all of which were occupied.

Bompa Turay, the Councillor of the community, told Concord Times that the building collapsed because it was erected on a waterway, and its foundation was weak, constructed with substandard materials.

“A robust action is needed to prevent other disasters like this,” he said. “We tell people this place is not ideal for construction, but they obtain permits from the Ministry of Lands and proceed with building whatever they want.”

This year has seen an increase in building collapses in Sierra Leone, particularly in the capital. Between July and September alone, four multi-story buildings have collapsed.

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While some of these incidents have been linked to heavy rainfall, much of the blame has been directed at the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning for issuing building permits and allowing construction in disaster-prone areas.

Additionally, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been criticized for allowing the importation of substandard building materials due to gaps in the testing and certification processes of imported products.

“These buildings are collapsing because of substandard materials,” said Thomas Kamara, Executive Director of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA). “You don’t construct a multi-story building overnight. We just see people build and elevate them quickly, and this is the result.”

In an interview at Shell on Monday, the Deputy Mayor of Freetown City Council, Kweku Melvin Lisk, expressed concern over the rising number of building failures, stating that the issue affects everyone.

“The worst part is that when the Council stops people from building in certain areas, they get permission from higher authorities to continue,” he said. “Less than two months ago, a building collapsed at Congo Town.

We were told that the construction had been halted, but with orders from above, they continued, and it collapsed. This shows that we need better collaboration to ensure the right actions are taken.”

He added, “They construct these buildings in risky areas without proper permits or engineering, putting lives in danger. It’s high time we come together to stop this approach to building in the country.”

Responding to allegations about substandard building materials being sold, the Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a press statement last month, stating that they have held several meetings with major importers of iron rods and building materials to address these concerns.

They have also initiated a series of field monitoring visits to shops and stores in Freetown to assess compliance with regulations on the quality of building materials being imported.