In Cité Belle Vue, the waters have left behind battered homes, wrecked vehicles and distraught families. Gathered under a tent this weekend, the flood victims described their ordeal, while Me Alassane Seck and Ms Khady Niang warned of losses provisionally estimated at several hundred million CFA francs. The worst was avoided, but the trauma runs deep.

By Abdou Latif Mohamed MANSARAY – The looks are sad, the faces closed. On the walls of the houses in Cité Belle Vue, the marks left by the water recall three days of nightmare. Behind the doors lie destroyed furniture, drowned household appliances and submerged memories. For residents, the task now is to measure the extent of the losses and try to get back on their feet.

Speaking on behalf of the victims, Me Alassane Seck described the scale of the disaster. Several vehicles, left under water for three days, are now out of action. Mechanics have been brought in to tow them and examine the damage, particularly to electronic systems. “Televisions, fridges, freezers, microwaves – everything is in the water,” he lamented. Wooden furniture has also been damaged. The victims are looking for their receipts to prove the value of the goods lost. “We are talking about hundreds of millions of CFA francs,” he said, while stressing that the assessment remains provisional. A house-by-house census is needed to establish a precise toll.

Khady Niang: “We must also look at 2005 and 2022”

For her part, Ms Khady Niang recalled that the current disaster is part of a long series of floods. “People are talking about 2026, but there have still been three floods in which we ended up with 1.80 metres of water in our homes. Imagine the losses,” she stressed, referring in particular to the episodes of 2005 and 2022.

For these families, the floods do not just destroy property: they wipe out years of effort. Some residents had already replaced their equipment after previous disasters. Today, they have to start from scratch once again.

The worst narrowly avoided

No loss of life has been reported. Ms Khady Niang attributes this relief in particular to the time of the disaster, which struck around 3am. “If it had happened in the middle of the day, it would have been a catastrophe,” she warned.

The estate has two crèches caring for babies and young children, not to mention elderly people in their homes.

In total, 66 villas and six apartment buildings have been recorded among the homes affected. The exact number of families affected has yet to be determined. Doctors are supporting those hardest hit, while residents try to take stock of their losses.

The waters have receded, but the distress remains. Beyond the hundreds of millions of CFA francs announced, these families must rebuild their daily lives and regain a sense of security. In Belle Vue, the nightmare is over, but the struggle to recover is only just beginning.

latifmansaray@lequotidien.sn