A massive landslide triggered by torrential rains buried three passenger buses and several road workers in western Cameroon on Tuesday, killing at least four people and leaving more than 50 others missing, authorities said Wednesday.
The disaster struck along a highway connecting the city of Dschang in Cameroon’s West Region to the economic capital of Douala, Public Works Minister Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi said after inspecting the site. Rescue teams have recovered four bodies while dozens remain buried in the debris.
“I’ve asked that rescued victims be taken to the mortuary, while survivors should be fully taken care of in order that they’re quickly relieved of their pains,” Djoumessi said at the scene.
West Region Governor Augustin Awa Fonka noted the increasing frequency of such disasters, stating, “The earth collapses have become common in Cameroon and the world in recent months and roads in these regions have become dilapidated.”
The catastrophe adds to a series of extreme weather events affecting West Africa this year, with the region experiencing some of its worst flooding in decades. More than 1,000 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced across the region.
Djoumessi attributed the landslide to climate change-induced rainfall. The World Meteorological Organization has previously warned that while Africa contributes minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains among the regions most vulnerable to extreme weather events.
