AKIPRESS.COM - More than 300 people have been killed in mudslides and flooding near Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, BBCreported.

A hillside in the Regent area collapsed early on Monday following heavy rains, leaving many houses covered in mud.

Many people may have been asleep when the mudslide occurred, according to a BBC correspondent.

The number of casualties is expected to rise. Locals were reportedly trying to recover bodies from the rubble and mud with their bare hands.

The worst-hit area is thought to be the Regent district on the outskirts of Freetown, where dozens of houses were submerged when the hillside collapsed at about 06:00 GMT.