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Tag: Landslides

  • Landslides in Cameroon leave individuals sleeping outside

    Landslides in Cameroon leave individuals sleeping outside

    A man, whose child was among the 30 or more individuals tragically killed in landslides in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, found himself spending a cold night outdoors.

    He and his family were unable to secure alternative shelter after their home was lost.

    Ymele Guy resides in the impoverished Mbankolo neighborhood, where numerous houses perched precariously on a hillside were obliterated due to heavy rains on Sunday.

    He, along with his wife and three surviving children, received a mattress from visiting officials who conveyed the news that all remaining houses in the area would be demolished.

    Housing Minister Célestine Ketcha Courtès, during her visit on Monday, had pledged to provide temporary accommodation in community halls and other public spaces for those who had nowhere else to stay.

    “We have lots of problems, we are sleeping outside because they [the authorities] said they must demolish everything… I didn’t have anyone in whose place I could sleep,” Mr Guy said.

    The community is home to many people who move to the capital from rural areas to find work.

    A local administrator “clearly told me that if it were up to him, I should return to my village”, Mr Guy said

    “He told me if it’s possible to return home, I can go to his office and get transport fare to go to the village.”

  • Capital of Cameroon struck by deadly landslides

    Capital of Cameroon struck by deadly landslides

    A lot of people may have died and some people are missing in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, after big amounts of dirt and rocks destroyed many houses in Mbankolo area.

    It happened after a lot of rain fell in the city on Sunday evening.

    The news outlets say that at least 13 people have died from the disaster, and more deaths are expected.

    People are still being rescued at the site, but it’s not clear how many people are still missing after the disaster.

    Last year in November, a big mass of earth and rocks slid down in the city and caused the death of at least 14 people who were at a funeral.

    In Nigeria’s neighboring country, Nigeria, on Sunday, warnings were given about floods in many areas. This happened because water was let out quickly from a dam in River Benue, which starts in Cameroon.

  • Rwanda floods and landslides kill more than 130 people

    Rwanda floods and landslides kill more than 130 people

    Authorities have annouced that floods and landslides in Rwanda’s northern and western districts have resulted in at least 130 fatalities.

    The rains hit at night when many people were asleep – an official told the BBC this is one reason why so many died.

    The five-year-old daughter of Claudette Nyiraneza was among them.

    “We could not save my daughter under the rubble until morning,” she told the BBC, adding that neighbours eventually helped retrieve her body.

    Local governor François Habitegeko said many houses had collapsed on people.

    He said that main roads in the area “are not usable because of landslides”.

    Rwanda’s public broadcaster RBA reports that the casualty numbers are expected to increase as floodwaters continue to rise.

    Rwanda’s president offered his condolences to those who have been affected. His statement also added that residents were being evacuated from “affected and high-risk areas”.

    The government’s main priority now is to “reach every house that has been damaged to ensure we can rescue any person who may be trapped”, the Reuters news agency quotes Mr Habitegeko as saying.

    Relief efforts have already started, “including helping to bury victims of the disaster and providing supplies to those whose homes were destroyed,” a government minister for emergencies, Marie Solange Kayisire, told AFP

    • Africa Live Page: For news updates from around the continent

    The heavy rains pounded Rwanda “all night” and more downpours are expected throughout the month, authorities say.

    Heavy rains and consequent damage and casualties between March and May are commonplace in Rwanda, but the deluge on Tuesday night was unusually strong and long-lasting.

    This is the worst flooding Rwanda has seen since May 2020 when around 80 people died.

    Deaths have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda, where six people have died after landslides, the Ugandan Red Cross says.

    Rwanda’s weather authority is linking the unusual rains seen in recent years to climate change.

    Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.

    The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

  • Homes destroyed by deadly landslides in Venezuela

    Homes in the Venezuelan city of Las Tejerias, located south of the capital Caracas, have been swept away by deadly landslides.

    Following the tremendous rains brought on by the La Nia weather pattern, at least 22 people have been reported dead, and a further 52 are missing.

    Vice President Delcy Rodriguez visited one of the worst-affected areas on Sunday. Rescue services are working to find those still missing, she said.

    President Nicolas Maduro described the situation as “difficult and painful”.

    About 1,000 emergency personnel were taking part in search and rescue operations, deputy civil protection minister Carlos Perez Ampueda added.

    The landslides happened after the El Pato river burst its banks, and the resulting floodwaters swept away several houses and shops.

    Carmen Melendez, a 55-year-old local, told AFP: “The village is lost. Las Tejerias is lost.”

    Las Tejerias, which is some 67km (42 miles) from Caracas, has been hit the hardest in Venezuela by this year’s La Niña weather pattern.

    La Niña is a naturally-occurring event, which involves a cooling of the Pacific Ocean and usually brings wetter conditions to Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

     

     

  • Uganda landslides kill at least 15 amid heavy rains

    Landslides triggered by heavy rain have killed at least 15 people – mostly women and children – in Kasese, in western Uganda.

    Some homes were also washed away by flood waters that tore through the area located on the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains.

    A spokesperson for the Uganda Red Cross says six people were injured in the landslides in Rukoki following torrential rains.

    A yet to be ascertained number of people are feared missing.

    The region is prone to landslides and saw three people killed last week in Bundibugyo district.

    The rainy reason, which normally starts in August, has this year resulted in devastation in parts of the country.

    Early last month, at least 24 people died after rivers in eastern Uganda burst their banks.

    Several parts of East Africa have experienced severe weather this year, from long droughts to destructive rains and flooding.

  •  Landslides in Uganda kill over 15 people amid heavy rains

    At least, 15 people in Kasese, western Uganda, have perished after being hit by landslides triggered by heavy rain.

    The deceased are mostly women and children, according to reports.

    Quite a significant amount of people are feared missing.

    A spokesperson for the Uganda Red Cross says six people were injured in the landslides in Rukoki following torrential rains.

    Some properties including houses were also washed away by flood waters that tore through the area located on the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains.

    The region is prone to landslides and saw three people killed last week in Bundibugyo district.

    The rainy reason, which normally starts in August, has this year resulted in devastation in parts of the country.

    Early last month, at least 24 people died after rivers in eastern Uganda burst their banks.

    Several parts of East Africa have experienced severe weather this year, from long droughts to destructive rains and flooding.