A burst dam in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 23 lives, as reported by Reuters.
The colonial-era dam unexpectedly released a deluge of water from a small lake at approximately 16:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) local time on a Sunday. Local leader Assola Joseph, residing in the Mbankolo neighborhood, witnessed the devastating event.
At the scene of the calamity, Reuters confirmed that five bodies had already been recovered, and the destruction extended to at least 30 houses.
The aftermath of the disaster left residents and rescue workers sifting through the debris of shattered structures, broken timber, uprooted banana trees, and twisted corrugated sheeting on a steep hillside on the following Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is grappling with its own flooding crisis, as the Federal Government disclosed that 28 lives had been tragically lost, and 48,168 individuals had been displaced due to widespread flooding. The government sounded the alarm regarding the potential for further flooding along the River Benue, citing concerns about the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
This urgent announcement came during an emergency meeting with stakeholders in Abuja, where the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, provided distressing statistics.
According to Ahmed, “I wish to update you on the NEMA situation room dashboard which indicates that this year’s flood scenario has affected 159,157 people, resulted in the loss of 28 people and the displacement of 48,168 individuals in 13 states across Nigeria.”
| Sahara Reporters
