620 people died in the terrible train accident

(Baonghean.vn) - The Cameroon government said on October 21 that at around 11:00 a.m. (local time), a Camrail train derailed while traveling from the capital Yaounde to the city of Douala, killing at least 55 people and injuring 575 others. There are still 14 people trapped at the scene.

The scene of the accident in Cameroon on October 21. Photo: Reuters.

The horrific accident has further raised the alarm about the growing number of casualties related to rail transport in Africa.

A Reuters reporter reported seeing Camrail staff adding more carriages to the train to accommodate more passengers. It is not yet known whether the cause of the accident was related to overloading.

The Camrai railway company, operated by French company Bollore, said it had sent ambulance teams to the scene and the injured were being taken to local hospitals or to Douala. Camrail also expressed condolences to the families of the victims on its official Facebook page.

A Bollore spokesman also confirmed the accident, but did not give any further details about the incident.

Scene of devastation at the scene. Photo: AFP.

Many railways in West and Central Africa are notorious for poor maintenance and non-compliance with safety standards, leading to numerous train accidents over the years, the most common cause of which is derailment while in motion.

Although Bollore is considered a reliable rail operator, the company suffered a major setback in September when part of a Bollore-controlled bridge in Ivory Coast collapsed under the weight of a passing freight train.

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)