–As mudslide kills dozens in Charlie Town
By Jerromie S. Walters
On Monday, March 25, 2024, a mudslide struck Charlie Town in Rivercess County, resulting in the loss of an unspecified number of lives. The incident occurred at Cheoh, a gold mining site in Electoral District #2, where ten bodies have been recovered so far.
Mudslides, triggered by the rapid accumulation of water in the soil, often lead to the sudden movement of water-soaked rock, earth, and debris. Typically originating on steep slopes, mudslides can be exacerbated by natural calamities. This is not strange to Liberia as the West African state has experienced it on multiple occasions.
In response to the incident, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah expressed the government’s condolences to the affected families on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. While refraining from specifying the exact number of casualties, Minister Piah confirmed the discovery of at least ten deceased individuals at the time of his media engagement.
“The Government of Liberia announces with profound regrets that on Monday, March 25, 2024, a mudslide occurred in Cheoh, a gold mining area, in Charlie Town, Electoral District #2 in Rivercess County which led to the entrapment of an unspecified number of persons,” Minister Jerolinmek Piah noted.
He stressed: “As we speak, it has been confirmed that 10 bodies have been recovered by the Joint Search and Rescue Team comprising of the National Disaster Management Agency, the Armed Forces of Liberia, the Liberia National Police, the Ministries of Health, Mines and Energy and Red Cross.
The Government of Liberia extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and assured that the public will be updated as the Search and Rescue continues.
Mudslides in mining areas are often caused by factors such as intense rainfall, poor land management, deforestation, and destabilization of slopes during mining operations. The combination of rainwater with loose soil and rocks can result in a swift downhill flow of mud and debris, culminating in a destructive mudslide.
It has been proven that mining operations can also alter the natural landscape, making it more susceptible to erosion and landslide events. However, expert proper environmental planning and monitoring are crucial to prevent and mitigate the risk of mudslides at mining sites.
It can be referenced that in February 2019, former Liberian President George Weah declared a day of national mourning after more than 40 people were killed in a mudslide at an alleged illegal mine in the north of the country.
The national disaster management agency has been searching for survivors since the incident in Nimba County last weekend, but the region is inaccessible, and getting the necessary equipment there is posing a challenge, a spokesperson said.
In May 2020, a landslide occurred in a mining site in Grand Cape Mount County (northwest Liberia), killing several people across the Masakpa, Bangoma, and Tewor Districts. Several persons were buried.
In July 2022, Reports from Kokoya District, Bong County, revealed that rescuers retrieved one body from tons of mud after a landslide that wept into an unauthorized goldmine.
About four men were looking for gold grains on Monday, July 18, 2022, in a pit roughly 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep at an unauthorized mine in the district when a landslide plunged down surrounding hills and buried two.
