Cameroon: Yaounde-Obala Highway - 13 People Perish in Ghastly Accident

According to the Commander of the Division for Public Roads and Traffic for the Centre Region, Police Superintendent Adamou Baba, the calamity happened at about 1:45 a.m. on August 11, when the driver of the mini bus poorly negotiated a sharp bend, meeting head-on with the bus carrying some 70 passengers. Attempting to avoid a head-on collision with the long bus, the driver of the mini-bus instead collided with another bus coming from Yaounde. The later bus immediately caught fire after the shock. The long and mini buses stumbled in different directions leading to the lost of human lives most of whom were in the mini bus. 

The driver of the mini bus died on the spot, alongside some eight people, with eight others seriously wounded. At the Obala District Hospital where the victims were transferred, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Fouda said the lone survivor from the mini bus is recovering. Two victims died on their way to the hospital and a third died on a hospital bed. Commissioner Adamou Baba noted that no deaths were registered from the long bus. The Traffic Police Head underscored that the cause of the accident was recklessness, excessive speed, non-respect of the Highway Code and poor negotiation at a dangerous bend. He also stressed that another cause of the accident was also due to fatigue as drivers are generally tired and could sleep on the steering wheel even for 10 seconds while driving at night.