Landslide kills at least 14 at funeral in Cameroon

A landslide has killed at least 14 people who were at a funeral in Cameroon's capital, the regional governor said.

The tragedy happened in the Damas neighbourhood of Yaoundé on Sunday. Dozens of people are still missing as rescue crews search the rubble with flashlights.

Centre regional governor Naseri Paul Bea told the Cameroonian national broadcaster CRTV that the search for survivors was continuing into the night.

“At the scene we counted 10 bodies, but before our arrival four bodies already had been taken away,” he said. “There are also a dozen serious cases dispersed in hospitals.”

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The governor described the area where the landslide took place, in the Damas neighborhood of Yaoundé, as a “very dangerous spot,” and he encouraged people to leave before authorities come in to clear it.

In a video filmed by journalists at the scene, blood and scattered bits of clothing were visible.

Emergency response teams were filmed next to a large mound of soil, alongside a digger.

The incident happened while dozens of people attended a funeral at the base of a 20-metre high soil embankment, Reuters reported.

Around 2.8 million people live in the city of Yaoundé, which has a tropical wet climate and a long rain season.

Major floods have been consistent throughout 2022, with scientists saying the heavy rainfall is exacerbated by climate change.