By Francis Tim Mbom
A 50-year-old woman and one-year-old boy are the two lives lost in yet another landslide that occurred in Limbe at about 3:00 am breaking today. This is the second landslide that has occurred in Limbe this week.
On Wednesday, July 19, two young boys died at Mawoh Quarter in New Town, Limbe, in a landslide that followed heavy rainfall throughout the night of Tuesday.
Limbe experienced similar rainfall in the night of Thursday breaking Friday, which caused a second landslide, this time, on a slope at Cassava Farms, Limbe.
A neighbour to the house that collapsed said they simply heard a loud bang after 3:00am breaking Friday. The bang, apparently, was the noise generated when a chunk of ground carrying with it a huge palm tree slid down and slammed against a plank (caraboot) house.
The crash instantly buried a woman and a boy of about one year and seven months old, Eugene Nongmesen, the neighbour, told The Post.
The honorable Senator for Fako, Mbella Moki Charles, upon hearing news of the incident, came all the way from Buea to see for himself what had happened.
He visited the incident scene at about 9am today to condole with the bereaved family and comfort the surviving victims.
“It is indeed, an unfortunate situation,” he said. “We had to be here to show our concern and stand by those who survived this unfortunate incident. It is indeed, painful. We feel for all of those who have lost loved ones.”
The Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Chaibou, alongside the Limbe City Mayor, Paul Efome Ngale, and other authorities visited the incident site at about 8:00 am today.
While the incident claimed two lives, neighbours said some six other persons who were also inside the house at the time of the disaster survived.
Senator Mbella Moki added that it is a moment “to focus our attention on those who are still living in this risky regions”.
Much of Limbe is hilly and, thus, many have built on these hilly areas without recourse to the fact that they are prone to landslides.
On June 27, 2001, a major landslide occurred at Mabeta New layout Quarter and claimed some 24 lives. Most of the hilly areas were declared risk zones after the 2001 incident. But, over the years, not much has been done to either relocate the inhabitants or pre-empt further habitation of these areas.
It is feared more people could be in danger if the intensity of the rains this year persist.
Senator Mbella Moki suggested that the people need to be further sensitised on the dangers of living in these areas and that measures must be taken to relocate them.
“This is a moment of grief but it is equally a moment of uncertainty as far as Limbe is concerned. You can see the desolation on the faces of the people. You can see the fear,” the Senator said.
He congratulated the City Mayor and the SDO, because they have been on their feet to see that there is a solution.
“It shows that the Government is certain and the responsibility is theirs in ensuring the security of the people and their property.”
As to the people living in these risk areas, he asked them to reconsider their resolve in continuing to live in these areas, else they will be increasing the burden on the government to ensure their security.