Fatshimetrie – At least four people have lost their lives and more than 50 are missing in western Cameroon after a landslide swept away three passenger buses and several road workers, authorities said on Wednesday (Nov 6).
Heavy rains weakened the soil and triggered the landslide on Tuesday, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said after visiting the disaster site, a stretch of a highway linking Dschang in Cameroon’s West Region and the country’s economic capital, Douala.
Only four bodies were recovered from the rubble, while dozens of others are still buried under the debris, he added.
“I have requested that the rescued victims be taken to the morgue, while the survivors must be fully taken care of so that they can be quickly relieved of their pain,” Djoumessi said.
The disaster comes as Cameroon’s neighbor Nigeria, among other West African countries, has experienced some of the worst flooding in decades this year, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands across the region.
“Landslides have become commonplace in Cameroon and around the world in recent months, and roads in these regions have deteriorated,” said the governor of the West Region, Augustin Awa Fonka.
The Minister of Public Works attributed the torrential rains that triggered the landslide to climate change.
This tragedy once again raises the issue of preparedness and resilience to natural disasters. Authorities must strengthen road safety measures and enhance their disaster response to minimize loss of life and property damage.
It is essential that local and international governments join forces to address the challenges of climate change and natural disasters, by putting in place appropriate policies and infrastructure to ensure the safety of populations and the preservation of the environment.
The current crisis is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and solidarity in the face of natural hazards, and must serve as a catalyst for stronger collective action to protect our planet and its inhabitants.