The tragic scene occurred around 5 a.m. on Thursday, August 12, 2021 in the Bikibo 2 district in Ndoghem PK13 in the city of Douala, Littoral region.
George Dzokeum, 44, and his 8-month-pregnant wife, Mofo Victoire, 41, died on Thursday after a landslide destroyed their home. The incident was caused by the collapse of a piece of waterlogged land that gave way, burying the couple whose house was located below. Neighbors and people of goodwill managed to pull the couple out of the mud, but it was too late.
At the origin of this tragedy, construction in high risk areas is singled out. The head of the Zoken family interviewed by Canal 2 International said that this was not the first time that the wall in question had collapsed. He reveals that his brother’s neighbor had promised to build a retaining wall but subject to the contribution of the deceased: “which was not possible“, he confides to our colleague.
Descended to the scene of the disaster, the governor of the Littoral region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua urged the populations to clear swampy areas to prevent such disasters from happening again.
A permanent challenge for the authorities of the economic city of Cameroon, the floods are often attributed to heavy rains as well as the poor drainage system in the city.