At least 286 people have died after a devastating mudslide struck an area on the outskirts of Sierra Leone's capital city Freetown, Sinneh Kamara, an official in charge at the Connaught Hospital's mortuary said on Tuesday.

Kamara said that a total of 280 bodies had been brought to the facility, while the ambulance has just left to collect six more bodies that were discovered on Tuesday morning.

So far the number of survivors still remains unknown but sources at the Connaught said about 20 survivors with severe injuries are currently responding to treatment.

Relatives of the victims at the hospital are seeking to identify their loved ones but they are not allowed entry by security forces who want to minimize chaos.

Head of Operation of the Sierra Leone police, Al Sheik Kamara said many people are still buried under the rubbles and excavators are removing debris to discover more bodies.

So far, the government has not yet released official figures regarding the death toll as rescue work is under way.

Xinhua correspondent at the scene said the weather remains cloudy on Tuesday morning, stoking fears of more rain that could impede rescue work.