Douala Landslide : Three Confirmed Dead

Three workers at a construction site around the Farmi Boutique in Logbessou (Douala V) have died following a landslide that occurred around 10am on Wednesday 17 July 2024. The collapsing earth trapped five workers underground, but two were rescued and three were still trapped when the rescue team arrived on the scene.
On arrival at the site, the military rescue team were able to recover the three bodies of the young men, who were still to be identified at press time. Eyewitnesses said they heard a strange noise at around 10am when it was raining. Some other young men braved the heavy rains and went to the scene, where they rescued two of the workers while the other three were trapped deep inside. It was difficult to identify the boys as eyewitnesses said they were not from the neighbourhood but had seen them working there in recent days.
At the scene, the Commander of the 21st Military Regiment, Col. Nko'o Jean, who led the operation, said the deceased, all in their 20s, had been involved in digging foundations at a construction site around Farmi Boutique in the Logbessou neighbourhood in Douala V Subdivisions. The Commander revealed that "they had dug the ground so deep that the natural soil suddenly collapsed and eroded on the victims". He added that the search and rescue operation took more than two hours. He expressed concern about the timing of such work being undertaken at the height of the rainy season when the ground is damp. It has been raining heavily in Douala fo...