At least six people died in the collapse of a building that occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday in Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon.
The tragedy occurred behind the Saint James hotel in the Bonamoussadi neighborhood, in the 5th district of the city, after heavy rains. The provisional toll reports six deaths including three children and four injured extracted from the rubble by the municipal services, firefighters, and residents.
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The building had been declared dangerous, evacuated, and sealed. But some people had secretly reoccupied it in disregard of safety rules. Witnesses say that families from the northern regions as well as street children had found refuge there.
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This tragedy occurs while the municipality is conducting a campaign of systematic demolition of risky buildings. The mayor of Douala, Roger Mbassa Ndinè, expressed his condolences to the families while rescue efforts continue to find other victims. The tragedy brings back to light the difficulties of accessing decent housing for many residents of the country’s major cities.
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