A massive fire outbreak on Sunday, April 14, ravaged several houses, vehicles, and other private properties in Tombel, Kupe Muanenguba Division of the South West Region.
The inferno was reportedly triggered by an explosion in an apartment where gallons of petrol had been stored for commercial purposes.
Eyewitnesses recounted the horrifying spectacle as flames spread through the area, consuming everything in their path with relentless fury.
The overwhelming blaze thwarted all attempts by residents to bring it under control.
The lack of a local firefighting unit further compounded the situation, leaving residents feeling helpless in the face of the flames.
Estimates suggest that the financial toll of the disaster is enormous, with hundreds of millions of francs worth of property lost in the blaze.
Homes lay reduced to smoldering ruins and vehicles were reduced to charred wreckage.
Fortunately, amidst the chaos and devastation, there have been no reports of human casualties resulting from the inferno.
However, the emotional and psychological toll on the residents of Tombel is immeasurable, considering that residents of this small town are among thousands of Anglophone Cameroonians who have been impoverished by seven years of armed conflict.
The fire outbreak has made matters worse and it will take several years for some of the victims to regain their livelihood.
The tragic incident in Tombel speaks of an urgent need for robust fire prevention and response units in Cameroonian towns and cities.
Fire outbreaks remain a persistent threat across the country, yet the scarcity of fire brigades leaves many communities vulnerable to such disasters.
Even in major urban centers like Buea, the regional headquarters of the South West Region, the absence of a firefighting unit leaves residents at risk and exacerbates the potential consequences of fire emergencies.
