Douala: old woman worried building might crumble on her

A grandmother living in Nkoulouloun, Douala II subdivision has raised alarm over what she qualified as “a building of death” over her roof. She was referring to a five – floor storey building erected on a narrow piece of land. Following a series of building collapses in the city of Douala, with a deadly one at mobile Guinness still fresh in the minds of Cameroonians, the woman in her 70s fears death is already looming around her.

“If it collapses now on my house, it will kill everyone of us. Parts of roof and ceiling have already been destroyed by pieces of bricks from the structure. I have complained several times to the owner but he has ignored me.”

The head of bloc F Nkoulouloun Dernier poteau, Dontsa Raymond testified that Mr. Okorie Chukwuemeka, the owner of the building went far beyond the authorized number of floors.

“The nature of the land required a normal house or just one floor storey building. What he has raised is crazy. The construction was mostly done in the night.”

Chukwuemeka Okorie, said he owes no one any explanation because he has all the legal documents authorizing his construction.

“Here are all the documents issued me by the competent services of the Douala city council,” Okorie said, presenting the documents.

It is not only this structure that scares surrounding locals, scores of them exist in all municipalities in Douala.

A Civil Engineer and expert in urban planning, Aurelien Ngonga who spoke to CNA said authorities should take stringent actions such as the demolition of such buildings as a means to protect the population.

Aurelien Ngonga had also advised the population to be conscious and be first protectors of their lives by evacuating risk zones.