Mutengene: Six die in road crash

The tragic incident which occurred over the weekend has been blamed on mechanical failures. It follows similar deadly occurrences that have been recorded on the Mutengene road in recent weeks.

Six persons died in a road accident in Mutengene in the Fako Division of the South West Region over the weekend. According to media sources, the incident occurred at the Police College Hill in Mutengene last Sunday March 30.  The Cameroon radio television, Crtv, confirmed the development yesterday. According to the state broadcaster, the accident occurred after a vehicle that was transporting passengers had a tire puncture, lost control and had a head-on collision with a truck. Those who are reported to have died from the incident include the driver of the vehicle and five of his passengers who included two adults and three children.

Media sources also reveal that all three children belonged to one of the adult victims who also died in the same tragic accident. It remains unclear if all six victims died on the spot. But some media reports suggest that three of the victims were declared dead shortly after three others had been early confirmed dead. The recent fatal accident is the third deadly accident that is occurring on the Mutengene road in the last two weeks.

Earlier this month, it was reported that two persons died on their way on a business trip from Limbe still in the Fako Division of the South West Region to the Mutengene town. Sources reported that the accident occurred at the Ombe Bridge.  A few days after the Ombe Bridge crash, it was also reported that two persons died on the stretch of the same road while scrambling for liquor. The incident, per sources, occurred after a truck that was transporting brewery products overturned, leading to inhabitants of the area and passersby scrambling over the drinks.

 The multiple accidents have led to increasing calls for vigilance by Cameroonian road users with emphasis on the need for proper vehicle maintenance. This is despite the fact that unlike the Mutengene incident which has been blamed on mechanical failures, most road accidents in Cameroon are either pinned on poor road network and reckless driving by road users or both.

The accident in Mutengene last Sunday was one of two disturbing incidents that happened in the South West Region last weekend. On the same Sunday March 30, a fire broke out at Mini Coquette located in Bonduma in Buea in the chief town of the South West Region. The incident destroyed business establishments, per local reports.  It is reported that the fire accident may have been provoked by the presence of illegal fuel in the locality.