Newborn baby among survivors of Mbankolo landslide

A baby barely one-month-old was rescued among more than 20 people who survived the landslide that killed at least 30 in Mbankolo, Yaounde, last night.

The baby and its mother are being hospitalized at the Deo Gracia hospital in Mbankolo.

This morning, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Celestin Ketcha Courtes, stopped at the hospital after their visit to the disaster site.

“The mudslide caused 30 deaths, injuring many, including an infant,” the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MINAT) wrote on its Facebook page.

Reports say the baby did not sustain very serious injury from the landslide, which ripped through Oliga locality in Mbankolo around 7 pm on Sunday.

The mud flow was triggered after a downpour in Yaounde yesterday caused a small lake in the neighborhood to break loose.

The water smashed down an embankment that had been keeping the lake water together.

“The mudslide resulted from heavy downpours and runoff from a hill that broke through the dyke of a lake at Nkol Etam, causing destruction on its path, submerging houses with people inside,” MINAT wrote.

Many of the victims were children who were reportedly attending a birthday party in the neighborhood that evening.

On Monday morning, wailing engulfed Mbankolo as people scavenged the debris in search of their loved ones.

Rescuers from the Fighter Brigade used an excavator to recover bodies from the mud.

The death toll moved from 12 reported early on Monday to 30 in the evening, and more people are still reported missing.

In the wake of the disaster, the presidential couple, Paul and Chantal Biya, dispatched a message of sympathy to the affected families through Minister Paul Atanga Nji.

The victims and survivors are still awaiting the required support from the government. So far, announcements have been made that mattresses and buckets have been given to them. However, it has been highlighted that what the people need most is shelter.

Mimi Mefo Info