On 21, August 1986 In Cameroon, a
small crater “Lake Nyon” killed 1,700 villagers and 3,500 livestock overnight
when it abruptly released 100,000 - 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide suffocating
everything within 25 kilometers. However, as per geologists, the reason might
have been a landslide, a small volcanic eruption on the bed of the lake, or a
small earthquake. Moreover, a third probability is that cool rainwater falling
on one side of the lake triggered the overturn. In spite of all the theories,
no actual reason had been found up to now.
Scientists still don’t know what
triggered the misery Lake Nyos in northwestern Cameroon a large cloud of carbon
dioxide formed, rose at nearly 100 kilometers per hour, and spilled over the
northern lip of the lake. It descended down two valleys, displacing all the air
and suffocating people and livestock within 16 miles of the lake. Even now, the
reason of this catastrophic disaster out-gassing has not been revealed. Therefore,
a degassing system has since been set up here with the object of decreasing the
concentration of CO2 in deep waters and therefore the risk of further
eruptions.
Therefore, it is thought that more
than 1.2 cubic kilometers of gas was released. Though, normally blue waters of
the lake turned a deep red after the outgassing, due to iron-rich water from
the deep rising to the surface and being oxidized by the air. The level of the
lake dropped by about a meter and trees near the lake were knocked down. After
catastrophic eruption, many survivors were treated at the main hospital in
Yaoundé. So, it was well believed that
several of the victims had been poisoned by a mixture of gases that included
hydrogen and sulfur. Poisoning by these gases would lead to burning pains in
the eyes and nose, coughing and signs of asphyxiation similar to being
strangled. Although, scientists concluded from evidence that a 100 m column of
water and foam formed at the surface of the lake, spawning a wave of at least 82
ft that swept the shore on one side.
In 1995, a feasibility report was
successfully conducted, and the first permanent degassing tube was installed at
Lake Nyos in 2001, and two more pipes were installed in 2011. After disaster,
scientists researched on other African Lakes to observe any similar phenomenon
could happen elsewhere. In Congo, “Lake Kivu” which is 2,000 times bigger than Lake
Nyos, was also found to be supersaturated, and geologists found evidence that
outgassing events around the lake happened about every thousand years. Cameroon
marks 30 years since its worst natural disaster ever, appear to be completely
dead. There is no sign of birds or other animals. In the 1980s, the population
of Nyos was over 3,000 and rising fast as a lot of people moved to the area for
agriculture and cattle ranching. So, after 30 years, the population is still
estimated at several thousand, but they live far from the killer lake, even
though many are ignoring warnings from the government and returning closer to
the lake. Source: Charismatic Planet
