Buea Council to embark on fresh demolition of houses.

The buildings concern, according to information from Buea Council officials, are those constructed in risk zones. 

The announced demolition exercise has been triggered by a landslide in Bamumbu Quarter, in the Bonalyonga neigbourhood. The landslide occurred over the weekend. It followed heavy downpour in the town.  The area where the landslide occurred has several houses nearby.

The landslide obstructed circulation from Buea Town to the Buea Main Market for several hours. 

A video which this reporter stumbled on, which went viral on social media, showed several houses below the area considered as potential risk zone.

The voice in the viral was overheard saying those in the houses constructed in the area were “really lucky” not to have been buried by the collapsing soil. 

The Second Deputy Mayor of Buea Council, Mosoko Edward Motuwe, who rushed to the scene of the incident, told reporters that the council has not issued any building permit to those who constructed houses in the area. 

“We have given warning signals to everyone around here but overnight, houses are being constructed. The council can never give people building permits when we know that it is a risk zone,” Mosoko said. 

The municipal authority said the council, “acting from orders of the SDO, who is the supervisory authority of councils and the Governor”, act as prescribed by the law. 

The Second Deputy Mayor is also quoted as having said witnesses at the scene of the landslide revealed nobody was injured in the course of the incident.

“The witness we met here told us he only saw two people around the place but all of them managed to escape at the time of the landslide. I will not take him for his words until we dig the ground before we can conclude if no one was killed,” Mosoko said.

The incident came several days after four persons were killed by landslide in Limbe I Subdivision. It should be noted that despite sensitisation against building in risk zones, many persons have continued to build houses in risk zones across the national territory. 

By Tanyu Gisselle*