Cameroon landslides claim 15, rescue efforts continue

By Nathan Morley

A landslide in Cameroon's capital has killed at least 15 people attending a funeral.

Police have been piecing together details of this tragic event which saw dozens of people attending a funeral on a football pitch at the base of a 20-metre-high ridge, which collapsed on top of them.

Aid efforts began almost immediately, but ambulances and fire trucks struggled to make their way to the site, as crowds frantically searched for loved ones.

The tragedy happened in the Damas area of Cameroon’s capital on Sunday, and the search for survivors continued into Monday.

Beyond the recovered bodies, more are believed to be beneath the mud.

Rainy season and climate change

Around 2.7 million people live in the region, which has a tropical wet climate and a long rainy season.

Local news reports said major floods have battered the region this year, with scientists saying the heavy downpours are worsened by climate change.

Africa has recently seen several brutal weather-related incidents.

In Nigeria, recent floods have destroyed more than 570,000 hectares of farmland, and in Cameroon, vast areas of crops have been decimated by unusually heavy flooding.