# Lake Nyos degassing cuts repeat disaster risk after killing 1,746

2026-08-10T11:37:36+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

In 1986, a sudden release of carbon dioxide from Lake Nyos in north-western Cameroon killed 1,746 people and more than 3,000 livestock. The rare phenomenon, a limnic eruption, occurred when dissolved gas built up under pressure in the deep lake water and escaped without warning. Three decades later, an international degassing system using pipes safely releases the gas, and scientists monitoring the lake say the immediate risk is substantially reduced. The 1986 disaster led to the formation of the International Working Group on Crater Lakes, later the Commission on Volcanic Lakes under IAVCEI. Researchers continue to study Lake Nyos as a natural laboratory for understanding gas behaviour in deep volcanic lakes. The degassing effort has changed the lake's appearance, with reddish patches caused by oxidising iron from the process.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/in-1986-lake-nyos-released-a-deadly-carbon-dioxide-cloud-that-killed-1746-people-but-the-gas-was-still-building-up-30-years-later/articleshow/133092753.cms>

Tags: Cameroon, carbon dioxide, disaster science, Lake Nyos, limnic eruption, volcanic lake
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