Bus crash in western Cameroon kills more than 50 passengers
At least 53 people have died and 21 others were injured after a bus collided with a truck early Wednesday in a village in Cameroon’s west, officials say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At least 53 people have died and 21 others were injured in Cameroon when a bus collided with a truck early Wednesday in a village in the western part of the country officials said.
The accident occured in Santchou village and survivors were rushed to hospitals in the western towns of Dschang and Bafoussam, Awa Fonka Augustine the governor of the West Region of Cameroon, confirmed.
“A speeding truck illegally transporting fuel ran into the 70-seat bus transporting passengers from the coastal commercial city of Douala to Bafoussam, the capital of Cameroon’s West region,” he said. "A collision between the truck and the bus sparked uncontrollable fire which ravaged the truck, the bus and its occupants.”
The truck driver, however, escaped after the crash and Augustine has called for his arrest.
Hundreds of people are rushing to Santchou to see if their relatives are dead or alive.
“It is impossible to identify any of the corpses I have seen. They are burned beyond recognition,” said 54-year-old businessman Honore Nzali who is searching for his brother.
Road accidents are common in Cameroon. The government blames reckless drivers and the poor state of vehicles, while drivers blame the bad conditions of the roads.
In December, 37 people died and 18 others were seriously injured in an accident in the western village of Makenene.