The residents of several villages in northern Cameroon went to sleep on August 21, 1986, unaware that many of them would never wake up. Late in the evening, around 10 p.m., a tragic series of events ...

One night in 1986, Lake Nyos in Cameroon released massive clouds of carbon dioxide, enveloping entire villages and killing thousands. Since then a dicey game has been played out by scientists battling ...

When people think of explosive natural disasters, they often imagine volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. Few realize that certain lakes can also produce sudden, deadly events that resemble an invisible ...

When people talk about volcanos, it's common for others to picture the kinds of apocalyptic eruptions often shown in disaster movies — as well as, unfortunately, in recent news. While these ancient ...

On the deadly night of August 21, 1986, a strange and mysterious natural disaster took place at one of the most interesting lakes in Africa — Lake Nyos. Lake Nyos is not an ordinary lake. It is a ...

Researchers involved in a unusual project to prevent natural disasters in two African lakes say the first few years of the attempt have gone well, but have not yet made things safe. The project aims ...