Landslides are a recurring occurrence during Yaounde's rainy season, exacerbated by the precarious construction of houses on the city's numerous hillsides. The most recent catastrophe unfolded in the Mbankolo district, northwest of Yaounde, home to nearly three million residents.
The catastrophe resulted from torrential rain causing the rupture of a dam that was holding back an artificial lake situated at higher altitudes, as disclosed by the public broadcaster CRTV.
"The day before, we were able to rescue 15 individuals who had lost their lives, and this morning we discovered eight more," reported David Petatoa Poufong, the fire service's second in command, while speaking to journalists at the scene. The distressing sight of relatives observing as the lifeless bodies, concealed by sheets, were transported away by firefighters was witnessed by an AFP journalist.
A security perimeter was established to maintain a safe distance for onlookers and media personnel from the site where the landslide occurred. Television broadcasts displayed a section of a hillside that had collapsed and the remnants of homes, which appeared to be constructed from wood, dried earth bricks, and metal sheeting.
In the distance, the remains of hillside residences swept away by the landslide were visible, as described by an AFP journalist. Daouda Ousmanou, a local administrative official, revealed on public radio, "There was a landslide after heavy rain. The water swept away everything in its path."
