Douala: authorities fail to support collapsed building victims as promised
Some victims of the collapsed storey building at Mobile Guinness in the Douala V subdivision have revealed that no authority who pledged support has come back to see them or assist in any way, three weeks after the event that claimed 42 lives, and left 21 hospitalized.
“We haven’t gotten anything from any of the authorities who came here when the building collapsed. I am the one taking care of my injured leg financially. I am still having appointments with the hospital. I am on medication and will start receiving injections, all at my personal expense.”
“If they have made any promise, we have not received anything. We have not met with anybody who made a promise to help us the victims. They came here for selfies and one-man-show declarations on the media,” a lady who sustained severe injury on her leg and Neba Richard who lost his fiancée told CNA.
During a press conference at the Douala city council, the authorities pledged aid to the victims through treatment, organization of funerals, psychological assistance and others to enable the identified victims resume life.
“All my business items were lost in the incident. I have a neighbour in the hospital with a life threatening injury on his head. He has spent 150,000frs and will need an urgent surgery otherwise he will suffer memory lose. “
“I lived here for 10 years and had a cordial relationship with most of my dead neighbours. Each time I sit, walk or sleep I see their faces. It’s traumatizing especially at night.”
While at the site of the tragic incident three weeks later, some of the victims encountered explained they live in miserable conditions.
“I sleep in my taxi. My friends feed and cloth me. All the documents of the taxi perished in the rubbles and I don’t have a franc to acquire another,” Neba Richard said.
Another victim revealed to CNA, corpses are still buried in the rubbles. “A family from Bamenda came looking for their loved ones who were living in the collapsed storey building to no avail. They have searched in hospitals to no success.”
The rescue team according to her did not have adequate equipment to search right down to retrieve bodies of persons who occupied the first floor.
