Anansa Road Landslide Worsens In Calabar as Hospital Building Collapses

The landslide threatening Anansa Road in Calabar, Cross River State, is continuing to expand, with the earth gradually giving way and extending towards nearby properties despite ongoing efforts by government authorities to contain the situation.

The development has raised fresh concerns among residents, coming less than a month after two separate landslide incidents in the Calabar metropolis claimed the lives of six people, including four siblings.

TVC News reported that the first tragedy occurred in July in Ikot Awatim community, where torrential rainfall triggered a landslide that buried five people, including four siblings. Days later, another landslide occurred in Edim Otop, claiming the life of an eight-year-old girl.

The latest threat at Anansa Road has heightened concerns over the vulnerability of some parts of Calabar to rainfall-induced landslides, particularly as the rainy season continues.

At the affected section of Anansa Road, the ground is reportedly still shifting, with the landslide gradually eating deeper into the surrounding terrain and advancing towards nearby properties.

A private hospital facility identified as UNICEM has already been affected, with portions of its premises gradually collapsing as the earth movement continues.

Read Also: Landslide Damages Major Road in Calabar

Government authorities at different levels have commenced remedial measures aimed at reclaiming and stabilising the affected area. The intervention is expected to slow the movement of the soil, contain the spread of the landslide and protect adjoining properties.

However, the continued movement of the ground has heightened the urgency of the response, particularly with the rainy season still ongoing.

The recent incidents have renewed concerns about landslide risks in Calabar, where rainfall, erosion, drainage challenges and development around vulnerable slopes have contributed to previous incidents.

Following the earlier landslide disasters, authorities and residents have called for stronger preventive measures, including improved drainage, erosion control, geotechnical assessment of vulnerable locations and appropriate restrictions on development in high-risk areas.