Word: wum
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Word of the tragedy did not reach the town of Wum, just ten miles west, until late the next afternoon. A government employee who had been motorcycling to Nios from Wum first discovered the disaster. When he came upon a dead antelope, he thought he had had a stroke of luck, and happily strapped the animal to his bike. But when he got closer to Nios, the impact of what had happened struck him as he saw more and more bodies of people and animals. Fighting back dizziness, he returned to Wum. Late that day, his ghastly report finally reached...
...provide immediate shelter, food and consolation for the refugees who continued to stream out of the afflicted hillside settlements. Late last week army vehicles, Land Rovers and pickup trucks moaned up and down the rain-sodden paths, shuttling evacuees and their possessions to Wum and Nkambe, where doctors, social workers and such conveniences as running water, electricity and telephones awaited...
...disaster could be a blow to the area's agricultural output. The noxious cloud settled over fecund farmland, and the long-term costs could be significant. "The farmers here were famous," said an official from the Wum Area Development Authority. "They grew good crops and healthy cattle. This is a rich valley. The farms are the best in the whole region." Unfortunately, the lands surrounding Lake Nios may have to be evacuated permanently if scientists determine that a recurrence seems likely...