At least 12 people killed and several others injured after a four-storey building in Cameroon collapsed

On Sunday (July 23), a tragic incident occurred in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial hub and largest city, where a four-storey building collapsed, resulting in the death of at least 12 people and leaving several others injured, according to the regional governor. Local officials anticipate that the death toll may rise as search and rescue operations continue, and dozens of people have been affected by the collapse.

The building collapse occurred around 1:00 am (local time) in the north of the city, specifically in the eastern Ange Raphael neighbourhood. The structure fell onto another smaller residential building nearby, causing further damage. Rescue services, including the military’s fire brigade and the Red Cross, are currently working at the scene to find survivors.

Distressed neighbors who heard screams rushed to help dig people out from the rubble, but their efforts were limited due to the deteriorated state of the building, as described by Gaspard Ndoppo, a resident near the collapsed buildings.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but local residents reported that the building appeared to be in a deteriorated condition with exposed and worn-out rods.

At Laquintinie hospital in Douala, 13 patients were admitted, and unfortunately, two others, a three-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, passed away. The hospital is providing emergency pediatric treatment to three other injured children.

The governor of the surrounding Littoral region, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, confirmed that 12 people had died, and a total of 31 were affected. He mentioned that the casualty figures might increase, as search and rescue efforts continue.

In 2016, a similar tragedy occurred in Douala, resulting in the death of five people. At the time, officials attributed the incident to poor maintenance and violations of building regulations. In response, local authorities identified 500 buildings at risk of collapse and have been demolishing houses in high-risk areas prone to floods or landslides. However, the building that collapsed on Sunday was not among those marked for demolition.