Several people have been killed and others injured following a serious road accident involving two General Express buses on the Douala–Yaoundé highway at Pouma early Monday morning.
The accident reportedly occurred at around 3 a.m., when one bus was travelling from Douala towards Yaoundé while another was heading in the opposite direction.
According to information from the scene, the two buses came dangerously close to a head-on collision. One of the drivers reportedly swerved in an attempt to avoid the other bus, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and overturn in the bushes.
Several passengers reportedly lost their lives in the accident, while others sustained injuries. The exact number of deaths and injured passengers has not yet been officially established.
The bodies of those who died were reportedly transported to the mortuary of Pouma Hospital, while the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.
The accident has once again drawn attention to safety concerns along the Douala–Yaoundé highway, one of Cameroon’s busiest transport routes.
Significant sections of the road remain a single carriageway, with vehicles travelling in opposite directions on the same roadway without a continuous central barrier separating oncoming traffic.
The route carries large volumes of passenger, commercial and freight traffic every day. Overtaking, sudden manoeuvres or loss of control can therefore create serious risks for road users.
Monday morning’s accident has renewed calls for greater attention to road safety and the development of a safer and wider connection between Cameroon’s two largest cities.
Legit Cameroon will continue to follow the situation as authorities establish the exact circumstances and casualty figures.