YAOUNDÉ, July 25, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - The death toll from a building collapse in Cameroon's business hub Douala rose to 37 on Monday, as neighbours recalled the structure's "failings" and "cracks", fearing more bodies lie under the ruins. The four-storey block of flats collapsed onto another residential building in the north of the city overnight on Saturday. Cameroon's urban development minister Celestine Ketcha-Courtes, who visited the scene of the tragedy on Monday, told reporters that the ill-fated building "did not have planning permission". "The toll could still go up," said computer scientist Prosper Tchinda, who was one of the first on the scene on Sunday. Five people died in similar circumstances in Douala in 2016 when authorities blamed the poor state of repairs and apparent violations of building regulations.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha July 25, 2023 03:53 UTC