Burst dam causes flooding and landslides in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé

A colonial-era dam near Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, gave way due to torrential rain at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, sending a destructive wave of water down the city.

Furthermore, the worst affected area was the Mbankolo neighborhood, which mostly consists of precariously built houses on a steep hillside.

The surge of water swept away part of the hillside, causing widespread destruction. More specifically, reports have been made of at least 30 houses destroyed, as well as at least 28 people losing their lives and 20 more left injured in the events.

It is worth noting that the Mbankolo neighborhood is deemed a high-risk zone and Paul Atanga Nji, the Territorial Administration Minister, stated that the death toll is expected to rise.

Finally, the Associated Press reported that the authorities of Cameroon have been demolishing houses in areas of high-risk against floods and landslides, while many of the collapsed buildings in Mbankolo had been scheduled for demolition.