The death toll from the landslide that occurred on Sunday in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, has climbed to 30, and 17 others have been injured.
The country’s interior minister, who visited the site to evaluate the extent of the damage, provided this update.
In the impoverished neighborhood of Mbankolo, heavy rains caused numerous homes to collapse into rubble. Concerns persist that several individuals may still be trapped beneath the debris.
“We just put a team that will work all day long to continue finding people,” Housing Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtès told the BBC.
One of the individuals rescued was a three-month-old baby. In light of the ongoing risk, authorities have requested that residents evacuate the neighborhood, which is classified as a hazardous area, to prevent another landslide.
According to local residents who spoke to the BBC, the incident happened due to heavy rains causing an overflow from a nearby reservoir. Some individuals who lost all their belongings in the event expressed that they have no alternative housing options.