Douala building: Shock as collapse kills 12 in Cameroon

A building has collapsed in Cameroon's biggest city, Douala, killing at least 12 people and injuring five others.

It is not known how many people were inside the four-storey building when it fell onto another residential block in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The rubble is being searched for survivors.

Distressed neighbours have described hearing screams and frantically trying to dig people out.

Teams from Cameroon's fire brigade, the Red Cross and others rescue services are still working at the scene.

The regional governor, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, has sought to reassure people - saying the situation is under control and rescue teams will make sure nobody is left beneath the wreckage.

Three children and ten adults are receiving emergency care at nearby Laquintinie Hospital, reports AFP.

Staff there say a three-year-old girl who was brought in has died.

It is not known what caused the building in Douala's Ange Raphael neighbourhood to collapse, but residents have told journalists it looked dilapidated.

City authorities have been demolishing homes deemed at risk from flooding or landslides, but this particular block was not earmarked for demolition.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Cameroon.

Back in 2016 a dilapidated building in Douala that flouted construction rules collapsed, killing five people.