Lake Nyos: The untold story of this volcanic lake
The glassy, serene surface of lakes mesmerise us with their sheer view. These natural and man-made wonders are home to an abundance of flora and fauna and are essential in sustaining the ecology around them. However, not all lakes are nurturing and pleasant. Some can be dangerous and, in some cases, deadly! Few examples of dangerous lakes around the globe are the Horseshoe Lake, Mono Lake, Boiling Lake, and Lake Karachay among others. Today, we are going to introduce you to Lake Nyos, located in Cameroon. It is a deadly lake that once claimed the life of 1700 people! But how? Let’s dive deep into the story of Lake Nayos.
What actually happened?
On 21st August 1986, 1700 people died overnight under mysterious circumstances. A nearby local uncovered this incident when he came across the dead bodies of people scattered around the village. He reported the incident to the local authorities, and subsequently a group of scientists came in to investigate the event. It was found that Lake Nyos was responsible for the mass killing! But how? Beneath the lake is magma (liquid rock). Carbon dioxide is the most abundant gas in liquid rocks. Usually, the gas is in a dissolved state in this magma, owing to pressure. However, seismic activity can sometimes trigger a sudden release of the trapped carbon dioxide. And this is exactly what happened on the dreadful day when 1700 villagers died. Following a seismic activity, the lake released a deadly cloud of carbon dioxide, killing people from the nearby village due to carbon dioxide poisoning.
Myths surrounding Lake Nyos
Major catastrophic events in history are often brimming with folklore created by the locals. And that is exactly what happened when Lake Nyos killed 1700 people overnight. One such myth related to this incident is extremely popular. The goes like this: Two tribes, called the Kom and Bamessi, lived in Cameroon. One day, the Kom people decided to stay at the place where the Bamessi people lived, but only for a short period. However, the leader of the Kom community discovered a plot by the Bamessi tribe to kill all the young men of the Kom community. To seek revenge, Kom’s leader told his sister he would hang himself on a tree. The fluids of his body will gather around to form a lake. He also instructed his sister that Kom people should never go near the lake and leave the village altogether. So, the Kom leader hung himself, and a lake appeared near the site of the suicide. Eventually, the Bamessi people thought of fishing in the lake and entered it. And that was it! The lake suddenly exploded, killing everyone. Intriguing, right?
The other explosive lakes in Cameroon!
Lake Nyos is not the only exploding lake in Cameroon! Two years before the Cameroon disaster, a similar event occurred at Lake Monoun, killing 37 people. Carbon dioxide leaked of the lake, sunk into a valley, and reached nearby roads. People from the nearby village of Njindoun who were walking down the road, got trapped in the cloud and lost their lives. There are many such lakes in Africa. Lake Kivu, located between Rwanda and Congo in the Rift Valley, may be building towards a burst. This lake is twice the size of Lake Nyos and twice as deep, which means it can store twice the amount of carbon dioxide than Nyos. Therefore, any explosion in Lake Kivu can be more disastrous than the Lake Nyos tragedy!
Scientists suggest that the last explosion in Lake Kivu occurred around 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. Currently, around two million people live near the lake, which is why the lake’s pressure is being rigorously monitored.