More bodies have been found from a building that collapsed in Cameroon as the death toll climbed to more than double of the figure earlier reported.
At least 33 people have now been confirmed dead in a four-story building that collapsed onto a smaller one in Cameroon’s largest city of Douala early Sunday morning.
The housing and urban development minister, Celestine Ketcha Courtes, said that more bodies were recovered from the rubble by rescue teams Monday morning and that some died in hospital from injuries.
She added that five out of more than 20 people injured are in critical condition.
According to authorities, more than 200 people reside in the collapsed structure but the actual number of residents who were inside when the incident happened was unknown.
Rescue efforts are still being conducted to evacuate more bodies.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon has requested that the housing ministry assess the damage as the country continues to mourn.
Building collapses are common in Douala, sometimes caused by natural disasters such as landslides and in some cases due to unprofessional building practices.