Cameroon: Floods kill two children in Bafoussam

By Amina Hilda

Two children aged seven and nine years old have been killed by floods in Famla, a neighbourhood in Bafoussam, West Region of Cameroon.

Muhammadu and Muhammadu Buhari, the two victims were on July 23 swept away by the waters of a river they frequent regularly with locals of this area.

Talking to CRTV, the father of one of the children expressed dismay.

“…The mother started looking for the child, but she didn’t see him. We asked the landlord’s child, but he said he separated from the child moments ago.” He said

Residents formed into small groups after the downpour to search for the two children. It was not until the early morning of Monday, July 24 that the bodies were found near a river in Famla.

Forecasts and climate alerts from the national observatory on climate change for the period from July 20 to 31 announced risks of floods and landslides in the West and other parts of the country.

In addition to the risk of flooding and death by drowning, the observatory also fears the risk of landslides, new cases of cholera, the destruction of bridges, and many others.

This comes as an 8-year-old died in floods in Bamenda over the weekend. Similarly, two persons died in Limbe and Douala respectively last week as a result of heavy rains.