Below Foncha to Nghomgham, tears flow as families search for the missing after Mile Two bridge disaster
BAMENDA III, AMBAZONIA — Tragedy has once more struck Ground Zero as four lifeless bodies have been recovered following a deadly flood incident in Nkwen, Bamenda III, exposing yet again the deadly consequences of La République’s long-standing neglect of Ambazonia’s infrastructure.
The incident unfolded on Thursday evening around Mile Two in Nkwen, where a damaged footpath near the Mile Two bridge reportedly gave way under pressure from heavy rains. Several civilians attempting to cross were suddenly swept off into raging floodwaters, turning a simple passage into a corridor of death.
By Friday morning, search-and-rescue efforts intensified across the affected areas. The bodies of four victims, including three women, were later discovered downstream in Below Foncha and Nghomgham, communities now drenched in grief and disbelief. These are not just place names but scarred corners of Ground Zero where families now mourn loved ones lost in a preventable disaster.
Local sources say the floodwaters rose rapidly, leaving victims with no chance of survival. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as residents screamed for help while others watched helplessly as the waters carried their brothers and sisters away.
Rescue operations were led by elements of the occupation army, working alongside local residents who joined the desperate search for survivors and bodies. Despite these efforts, the exact number of those swept away remains uncertain, raising fears that the death toll could climb in the coming hours.
Across Nkwen, anxiety grips families still searching for missing relatives. Many have camped along the riverbanks from Mile Two through Below Foncha to Nghomgham, hoping against hope for answers. What was once a routine crossing point has now become a symbol of death, neglect, and abandonment.
This latest tragedy lays bare the ongoing infrastructural collapse in Bamenda, where basic amenities such as safe footbridges are lacking. In a functioning nation, such a hazard would have been fixed long before lives were lost. But in Ground Zero, broken systems continue to claim innocent lives while those responsible remain silent.
As Ambazonia bleeds, the people of Bamenda are once again left to count their dead, not from warfront bullets but from preventable disasters born out of systemic neglect. The question remains how many more must perish before action replaces silence.
