Current:Home > ScamsAt least 15 people have been killed in floods set off by heavy rains in Cameroon’s capital-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
At least 15 people have been killed in floods set off by heavy rains in Cameroon’s capital
View Date:2024-12-23 20:52:57
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — At least 15 people were killed and more than 50 were injured in floods set off by heavy rains in Cameroon’s capital, authorities said Monday as rescuers searched for those missing following the deluge the previous day.
The rains unleashed floodwaters in the district of Yaounde 2 of the country’s capital on Sunday, sweeping away buildings and reducing many to rubble.
Rescue workers are still digging through the mud and rubble “with the hope of saving lives,” Daouda Ousmanou, the top government official in the district, said Monday.
Floodings have been frequent in Cameroon in recent years, with experts often blaming climate change, and their impact has been exacerbated by shoddy construction that often circumvents regulations.
In the city’s Mbankolo neighborhood, at least 30 houses were swept away while several collapsed on residents inside, Ousmanou said. Others drowned as they were swept away by floodwaters.
Ernest Zebaze, a 24-year-old university student said he identified the bodies of his mother and two siblings. “I am still looking for my father who was in the house during the downpour,” Zebaze said.
Bodies of the victims have been laid out at a morgue while the injured were rushed to hospitals. The Yaounde General Hospital said it received 12 injured, including a 7-year-old girl.
Authorities in Cameroon have been demolishing houses in high-risk zones susceptible to floods and landslides. Many of the buildings that collapsed on Sunday had been marked for demolition.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- College football top five gets overhaul as Georgia, Miami both tumble in US LBM Coaches Poll
- North Greenland ice shelves have lost 35% of their volume, with dramatic consequences for sea level rise, study says
- CMA Awards 2023: See the Complete Winners List
- Nearly 1 million chickens infected with bird flu in Minnesota to be killed, per USDA
- Mechanic dies after being 'trapped' under Amazon delivery van at Florida-based center
- Four takeaways from Disney's earnings call
- 'We all want you back': Ex-Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl champion Matt Ulrich, 41, dies
- One of America's largest mall operators to close shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
- Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses ‘insurrection clause’ challenge and allows Trump on primary ballot
Ranking
- Alexandra Daddario Shares Candid Photo of Her Postpartum Body 6 Days After Giving Birth
- Minnesota agency had data on iron foundry’s pollution violations but failed to act, report says
- Mexican president wants to force private freight rail companies to schedule passenger service
- At trial, man accused of assaulting woman at US research station in Antarctica denies hurting her
- Kid Rock tells fellow Trump supporters 'most of our left-leaning friends are good people'
- 21 Syrian pro-government militiamen killed in overnight ambush by Islamic State group, reports say
- Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor's Sweet Comments About Each Other Will Warm Your Heart
- Shania Twain touring crew members hospitalized after highway accident in Canada
Recommendation
-
At age 44, Rich Hill's baseball odyssey continues - now with Team USA
-
Colorado couple arrested in connection with funeral home where 189 bodies found
-
Family in 'living hell' after California woman vanishes on yoga retreat in Guatemala
-
There’s too much guesswork in renting an Airbnb. The short-term rental giant is trying to fix that
-
Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
-
National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day returns! Catch these deals at Burger King, Popeyes and more
-
Day of the Dead recipe: Pan de muerto by Elena Reygadas
-
Caravan of 3,000 migrants blocks highway in southern Mexico