In the early hours of July 25, a four-storey building under construction collapsed in the Baladji I district of Ngaoundéré. According to administrative authorities, the collapse engulfed a dwelling housing four people: a woman, her two children, and a relative. Their lifeless bodies were recovered by the fire department and taken to the Ngaoundéré regional hospital morgue.

The governor of the Adamaoua region, Kildadi Taguieke Boukar, who visited the site, clearly attributes the cause of the collapse to inappropriate construction, as the building was on a slope. 

This latest tragedy comes just a few days after the one that claimed the lives of some forty people in Douala last weekend. For that tragedy also, it is suspected that the building was inappropriately erected.  According to testimonies gathered from residents, the building that collapsed in Douala last week was called "the building of death"...

The government has been quick to take steps to prevent these repeated building collapses in Cameroonian cities. To this end, municipalities have been asked to carry out an extensive survey of risky buildings likely to collapse. Each mayor's office is also required to set up a system for reporting risky buildings. Finally, mayors are now required to step up their inspection campaigns.

Michel Ange Nga