By Njodzeka Kernyuy
Eighteen people have been killed in two separate road accidents on Thursday and Friday, says Cameroon’s Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngale Bibehe.
The accidents occurred on the Yom 11 Bandjoun stretch of National Road number 4 in the West Region, and on the Tiko stretch of National Road number 3, in the South West Region.
The fatal collision in Bandjoun took place on the night of Thursday, December 11. It involved a semi-trailer truck and several other vehicles, including a van transporting eggs, a passenger vehicle, and a motorcycle. Ten people were killed and 13 others were injured.
According to the Minister, initial findings indicate the accident was caused by the semi-trailer truck driver’s excessive speed.
The ghastly accident in Tiko killed eight people and left three injured. Following an investigation, the transport Minister stated it was caused by dangerous driving by the driver of the involved tanker truck.
“The accident resulted in a fire that consumed houses and vehicles near the impact site,” Minister Ernest Massena Ngale added.
However, at the scene, the Fako Divisional Officer, Viang Mekala told journalists that the accident was caused by a mechanical failure in the fuel tanker, which then lost control and crashed into several vehicles.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses at the scene told MMI the fuel tanker swerved to avoid a pothole in the road and subsequently lost control.
Aside from the eight vehicles completely ravaged by the inferno, over eight houses were also consumed.
“The fire erupted because the truck hit a high-tension cable, which sparked and spread to the tanker, leading to an explosion,” one witness told MMI.
Videos from the incident showed intense flames at the crash site when it happened.
The intervention of fire brigades from Mutengene, Limbe, and Douala was required before the fire could be extinguished. Some of the destroyed houses contained businesses that were also completely lost.
According to the Cameroon Red Cross, the deceased victims included six men, one woman, and one child.
The accident caused an enormous traffic jam that lasted for hours until the debris was cleared from the road.
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