The death toll from a devastating landslide in Cameroon’s West Region rose to 11 on Friday, as rescue teams recovered seven more bodies from the debris, local authorities confirmed.
Augustine Fonka Awa, Governor of the West Region, reported that excavation teams also removed heavy road equipment buried in the landslide. He noted that the recovered bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition, and search efforts are ongoing.
The disaster struck Tuesday, when a landslide on a steep hillside in La Falaise, near Dschang Town, buried three passenger buses, road equipment, and several workers. Initially, four bodies were retrieved, and over 50 people are still feared trapped beneath the rubble.
Emmeline Wakam, a resident awaiting news of her family members, shared, “They have recovered my mother’s body. We’re still hoping to find my grandmother and brother who remain in the rubble.”
Heavy rains have recently lashed parts of Cameroon, triggering widespread flooding and landslides. Locals have long warned of the landslide risks along the steep, winding route connecting the West Region to Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital.
