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“Lake overturn” anniversary - a warning

    NAIROBI

    On 21 August 1986 the tragedy of Lake Nyos left 1,800 people dead. They suffocated in what is known as a “lake overturn” in Cameroon. “Lake overturns” are natural phenomena: carbon dioxide erupts from deep lakes, suffocating animals and people on or near the lake.

    According to the BBC, the Nyos disaster prompted a survey of deep lakes in Africa and Indonesia. All appear safe, except for Rwanda’s Lake Kivu, which has two million people living near its shores.

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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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