At least eight people have been confirmed dead after a seven-storey building collapsed in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on Monday.

Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors as several individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble.

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) reported that six people have been rescued so far from the site on Shell New Road.

NDMA also revealed that some of those trapped have been able to communicate their locations to rescuers. Among the victims are two girls and a boy, all under the age of five.

The building, which housed both residential and commercial units, collapsed between 11:00 and 12:00 local time on Monday.

Two cranes have been deployed to aid the rescue efforts, though earlier attempts to clear the debris were made using picks and bare hands.

Local resident Mohamed Camara, in an emotional interview with AFP, shared that his wife and three children remain trapped under the wreckage.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.

Brima Sesay, head of the NDMA, stated the need to raise public awareness about the dangers of using unqualified contractors and substandard building materials.

“We will continue conducting vulnerability assessments to help reduce the frequency of building collapses across the country,” Sesay said.

Sierra Leone, one of the world’s poorest nations, faces ongoing challenges with infrastructure and construction quality, as buildings are frequently erected with inadequate materials.