This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
At least 42 people lost their lives in a devastating landslide that swept through the western Cameroon city of Bafoussam on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, due to torrential rains.
According to state media, the landslide destroyed houses, leaving rescuers to desperately sift through the rubble in search of survivors.
"Searches are ongoing. We fear there are further deaths," a senior local official told AFP on condition of anonymity as nightfall neared.
As of now, a total of 42 bodies have been taken to the hospital in the city, according to an official statement read on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV).
Media reports had earlier spoken of about 30 dead, with the radio reporting that four pregnant women were among the victims.
The landslide was caused by torrential rains that have fallen in the country over the past few days, as well as the wider region, with neighboring Central African Republic and Nigeria also seriously hit.
Cameroon President Paul Biya offered his condolences to families of the victims in a message broadcast on CRTV.
It's worth noting that landslides are quite exceptional in the area, although further south they are less rare in the rainy season, notably in the English-speaking southwest.
