This morning the popular Jimmy Bridge collapsed in Freetown, capital city of Sierra Leone.
The King Jimmy bridge is a colonial era relic between the famous King Jimmy Wharf market and the Connaught hospital, the main public hospital in Freetown.
It is a popular route for pedestrians and vehicular traffic, as it the main route that people from the Connaught, Regent Municipal and Kroo Bay areas use to access the popular commercial areas of King Jimmy and Government Wharf.
Two confirmed dead more many casualties are expected as the authorities continue to sift through the rubble.
This tragedy indicates a need for the country's authorities to start inspecting the stability and safety of some of the colonial era infrastructure. People are now worried about the haphazard construction around the hills and peninsular ranges surrounding Freetown.
It is time to study the stability of most of the bridges in Freetown. The city was not built to accommodate the sheer amount of people that moved in during the war and have refused to go back to the monotony of rural life after the country's conflict. The need for the acceleration of rural development in Sierra Leone has never been more urgent.
It is reported that the President of Sierra Leone Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma toured the scene of the accident and sympathized with those affected by the tragedy. We would continue to monitor reports from Freetown and post updates.
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