Scores of people are reported to have escaped death in the sea site resort town of Limbe on Tuesday 6 July after heavy rains battered the city late in the night of Monday 5 June till the next day.

Circulation was brought to a standstill in some areas like Mile Two and Bota for several hours. Commuters getting into Limbe had to use the road through GHS Limbe before getting to Half Mile.
Cases of flooding were recorded at the Limbe City Council Premises in Bota and the nearby Divisional Delegation for Labour where documents were submerged by water. Work was grounded in the affected offices.

The same scenario was reported at Mile Four, behind the motor park and at the Manga Williams Avenue (from the old market to BEAC headquarters in Down Beach)
In Towe Quarters the house of a certain Philip was covered by earth which came down from a hill. Several locally made bridges were swept away by the floods. Some workers in officers which were hit by the floods spent a greater part of the day cleaning their belongings. This was the case of the Labour Office.

One of the victims of the landslide at Mile II, Mme Damaris Fuh, a widow of three children told Eden that she lost all her property to the rains and was thinking of relocating to her village.

Most of the victims are said to have cheated death as their houses were covered by landslides just when they stepped out.

Council at Work
Talking to Eden, the Secretary General of the Limbe City council, Charles Arrey Nkongho, who was spotted at Mile two supervising caterpillars and front end loaders clearing pebbles that had obstructed circulation, said the city council was at work to prevent any further disasters.

“So far there have been no deaths recorded. The areas which suffered flooding have been declared risk zones and people keep constructing in these zones. All what we keep doing is sensitisation and after that we shall take repressive measures and demolish some of these houses,” said the Secretary General.

Charles Nkongho Arrey said the council has stopped issuing permits to all those who want to construct in these zones.

“I am not aware of any permits issued to such occupants,” he argued, adding that whoever wants to construct a house in Limbe should consult a council engineer.

In would be recalled that on 26 and 27 June 2001 a flood and landslide disaster hit Limbe, claiming 24 lives, sweeping away quite a number of houses. Meanwhile, in 2006 another flood hit the town leaving several casualties.

(* NPB Students on internship)