Lake Nyos
A crater lake that released a lethal CO₂ cloud in 1986, killing over 1,700 people.
History
Lake Nyos fills the crater of a dormant volcano along the Cameroon Volcanic Line. On the night of 21 August 1986, magma-fed carbon dioxide that had built up under pressure in the lake's deep water suddenly burst to the surface, releasing a dense CO₂ cloud that rolled down the valley and asphyxiated around 1,746 people and thousands of livestock in nearby villages. It is one of only three known "exploding lakes" on Earth, alongside Lake Monoun elsewhere in Cameroon and Lake Kivu in DR Congo/Rwanda. Degassing pipes installed from 2001 now continuously vent CO₂ to prevent a recurrence.
Beyond the facts
Culture & traditions
A living tradition or belief tied to the place, distinct from its recorded history.
Long before the 1986 disaster was explained scientifically, local oral tradition already treated Nyos and other crater lakes in the region as inhabited by spirits capable of violence if disturbed — a belief that hardened into deep caution after the tragedy. Survivor communities that resettled after 1986 still mark the anniversary each August, and the lake is generally approached only with a local guide out of a mix of respect and continued unease about the ground itself.