Lake Emissions Kill 1,746 Villagers

August 26, 1986

Lake Nyos suddenly releases a 100,000-300,000 tons of carbon dioxide, suffocating people and animals within 16 miles (25 kilometers) of the lake, killing 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. A pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and leaks carbon dioxide into the water. The water can become supersaturated with carbon dioxide and an event such as an earthquake or landslide can cause it to be released. Scientists are not sure what triggered this event. Nyos is a crater lake on the edge of an inactive volcano in Northwest Region of Cameroon. Nyos is one of only three known carbon dioxide exploding lakes.