Nobody knows the reason: The lake overnight killed 1700 people

For nearly 400 years, about the Nyos volcano in northwestern Cameroon, along the Nigeria border, many myths have circulated how wicked souls live on it.

What happened testified that there were real warnings in stories keeping children out of the lake. There was a big danger under the quiet surface of Nyos.

I couldn't talk, I was unconscious. I felt terrified. I heard my daughter snoring out loud, looking abnormal. As I approached her bed to check on her, I just fell. I tried to say something, but no voice came out of me. The girl was already dead”

This is the story of Joseph Nkwain, one of the few who survived the most unusual natural disaster in history.

After a strange thunder that followed, on that fateful summer night, the lake became a fountain that threw water hundreds of feet into the air. Then a large cloud was formed over the lake, which was formed by the smoke coming out of the lake.

The cloud grew steadily until it reached a height of about 100 feet [100 m]. Meanwhile, terrified villagers left their homes to discover the cause of the noise, reports Science Allert.

Who went out lost consciousness...

A thick cloud covered the entire valley full of human settlements. People fell everywhere on the street, yard, field. While some lost only consciousness, others died in pain as soon as they inhaled the air for several minutes. In the two villages closest to the lake, only four people survived.

That fateful night, Lake Noyos suddenly released a large cloud of carbon dioxide (CO2), which killed 1746 people and more than 3,500 animals in nearby towns and villages.

This is the first time in history that nature has caused the drowning of so many humans and animals. By August 23rd, the cloud had disappeared and survivors began to wake up after a pale spell lasting nearly 36 hours.

What we know and do not know

Scientists concluded that Lake Noyos released a large quantity of carbon dioxide for about 21 hours, and since CO2 is heavier than air, it soon sank into the lowlands, covering everything in a thick, 50 - foot [50 m] toxic gas sheet.

“Vulcanic cells that spring from the ground below the lake spread over time and become focused on deeper water, and tropical temperatures form a type of “kapau” of hot water above the cold. It is unclear how this barrier was broken, while the causeants may be different, beginning with earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, heavy rain ... “, explains scientist David Bressan.

In the absence of a better scientific explanation, conspiracy theories have more believed claims by some locals that the explosion was caused by secret bomb tests conducted by Israeli and Camerunian governments.

To prevent the repetition of this terrible event, pipes have been placed in the lake, which eventually extract CO2 and two additional installations were made in 2011, with concerns that already installed did not draw enough carbon dioxide from the world's most deadly lake.

Today, the lake is still a danger, as its natural wall is constantly weakening. Only one earthquake could destroy the former volcano building and water would flood surrounding villages, releasing large amounts of deadly gas.