Cameroon: Heavy Rains, Landslide Kill at Least 30

Facts

• On Sunday, a flash flood and a landslide in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, caused the Mefou River to burst its banks, killing at least 30 people.¹
• According to local authorities, the collapse of a century-old dam due to heavy rains let loose the torrent that set off landslides, washing away settlements in the Mbankolo district.²
• Waters from the swollen river reportedly uprooted trees and wiped out at least 30 homes in the Mbankolo neighborhood.²
• Search teams are looking for survivors. However, the rescue efforts are hampered by floods, with many residents allegedly pulling the dead from the rubble with their bare hands.³
• During the rainy season, landslides are common in Yaoundé, a city of nearly 3M residents.⁴
• Last November, a massive landslide struck the Antenne Damas neighborhood, killing at least 14 people.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Downtoearth, ³Wion, ⁴Phys and ⁵Floodlist.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Downtoearth. The impoverished communities have been building low-quality infrastructure in dangerous zones — often in places at high risk of flooding. To avoid similar tragedies, the government must sensitize the population against construction in non-buildable areas and step up the campaign to ensure swampy places or slopes are evacuated for good.
• Narrative B, as provided by Washington Post. Yaoundé, a city flanked by seven hills, is more vulnerable to extreme weather, such as heavy rain, which is becoming more frequent and intense in Africa due to climate change. Although Cameroon can't be blamed for the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, unfortunately, the developing country is among the worst hit.