4 killed in Douala building collapse

At least four people were killed when a two-storey building under construction collapsed in the Ndokotti area of Cameroon’s biggest city, Douala early Sunday.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but it happened after an overnight rainfall in the city, according to Equinoxe Television, a local channel.

The governor of the Littoral Region, Mr Ivaha Dibua Samuel Dieudonne, who visited the scene, said provisional toll stood at three as rescue operations by the fire fighting brigade continued.

A drinking spot

There were fears the toll may rise as witnesses told the news service of the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) that tens of people were in the uncomplete building that had a drinking spot on its ground floor.

Building collapses happen frequently in the Cameroonian towns, especially Douala and Yaoundé, largely due to poor workmanship and the use of sub-standard construction materials.

Many of the buildings that collapsed were blamed on the stakeholders’ failure to observe the construction rules.

The property

Equinoxe TV reported, citing council authorities, that the collapsed building’s owner lives abroad and may not have obtained the official construction approval from the Douala City Council.

Early this week, a three-storey building under construction collapsed at the Omnisport neighbourhood near the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.

Neighbours said the building had developed visible cracks, but the owner of the property would not be persuaded to stop work.