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October 21, 2016 will be remembered by all Cameroonians as a Black Friday following a series of events that saw the tragic loss of more than 70 lives and more than 600 people seriously injured.
The packed Camrail train was travelling from the nation’s capital Yaounde to the economic capital Douala. It derailed at around 11 a.m. local time. The train was crammed with people due to road traffic disruption between the two cities and came off the tracks just before reaching Eseka in the Nyong and Kelle division.
The collapse of a section of the main highway between Yaounde and Douala amid heavy rain earlier on Friday had blocked hundreds of vehicles on the road and prompted increased numbers of passengers to make the journey by rail.

What caused the train derailment?
Witnesses said rail workers added additional carriages to accommodate extra passengers before its departure, though it is not clear if that decision contributed to the accident. Camrail officials said the train was carrying 1,300 passengers, instead of the usual 600.
Camrail, however, revealed in a statement that “Technical investigations are under way currently to determine the causes of this dreadful accident and the conclusions, as soon as they are known, will be communicated,"
Government has also opened legal investigations to determine what exactly opened. Reports have it that some passengers received texts messages on their mobile phone before take-off, warning them that they would not reach their destination.
The investigation will also look into a post that appeared on social media at about 9am announcing the accident before it actually happened around 11am.
"A train carrying the injured and the bodies of victims has arrived at Yaounde station in the presence of government and Camrail officials," Camrail posted on its official Facebook page on Saturday.

Survivor recounts ordeal
Patrick Goldmann, Journalist and survivor of the Eseka train tragedy recounted his ordeal to a local TV, Equinoxe TV
"We left Yaounde at 11:15am some people had bought their tickets for FCFA 9000. There were 16 cars instead of 8. The accident occurred at 1:20pm at the entrance of the Eseka station. We did not get any medical or psychological help until 6:30pm. There was no ambulance or counseling service. It was the ben-skineurs (motorcycle taxi operators) who were saving the victims in the valley. I believe the dead toll has been falsified because personally, I counted at least 200 dead in the valley.
The state must take back CAMRAIL from the Bolloré Group and the Transport minister should resign. It was thanks to a pick-up car from MTN, the SDO’s car and motorcycles that the wounded were transported to the hospital"

Biya sympathises from abroad
The president of the republic, Paul Biya expressed his deepest condolences on his Facebook page while abroad.
"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the Camrail train derailment in Eseka. Over 70 passengers died and 600 wounded in the accident, I instructed the government to provide full assistance to the survivors, while investigations will be made to determine the cause of the derailment."
President Biya then signed a decree declaring Monday, October 24 as a Day of National Mourning in memory of the victims of the train accident and ordered that all flags be flown at half mast throughout the national territory.
It should be recalled that the last time a national day of morning was declared in Cameroon was on May 9, 2007 after a Kenya Airways plane crashed after takeoff in Banga Pongo, Douala killing all 114 passengers plus crew.
SONARA GM on board death train
SONARA General Manager, Ibrahim Talba Malla is one of the survivors of the tragic train derailment. He is reported to have boarded the death train after his car made a U-turn at Matomb where the bridge linking Yaounde to Douala collapsed. He is said to have also failed to get an available flight to Douala and hence opted for a VIP train ride. Talba Malla, like most of the passengers on the VIP wagon survived unscathed except for the trauma of seeing dismembered bodies of fellow passengers.

Douala-Yaounde road collapse
The chain of events that led to the train accident started with the complete severance of traffic along the Douala-Yaounde highway following the collapse of a bridge over river Manyai at Matomb. The road over the bridge, reports say had already been showing some cracks and apparently succumbed to the heavy downpour that was witnessed around the area Thursday night.
Over 800 truck and other vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road. It is estimated that the over 36 hours traffic disconnect caused an estimated loss of FCFA 4 billion.
A makeshift bridge was built on the river Mányai Matomb to restore the link between the two major cities by Sogea Satcom and Routes d’Afrique and engineers from the ministry of Public works under the supervision of Public Works Minister, Nganou Djoumessi who worked through the night of Friday. A 40ft shipping container was used to serve temporally as bridge; a layer of tar was placed with boards as a carrier supported by two large iron bars.

Fear of another incident
However, reports have it that there is a risk of a similar incident reoccurring a few kilometers from Matomb, in a village called Pougue. A worker of Route d’Afrique is quoted to have revealed that there is fear that the marked area might also slump or collapse.
"The tar already has cracks. The place has even been marked by the company. If you go there, you will see that the company has already marked the area that might produce the next incident. If nothing is done, another road collapse will happen soon," he said.
Minister of communication announced during a press briefing late Friday that the about 240km road from Douala to Yaounde (Nationale No. 3) has over 200 of similar culverts like that at Manyai and all of them need urgent repairs.

Fru Ndi says it’s a decayed system
The Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, Ni John Fru Ndi told a local radio that the sad incidents of Friday in Matomb and Eseka show how decayed the system he has been condemning for years now is.
Ni John Fru Ndi said he had earlier criticized the state of that road and even the bad state of Cameroon's railway system.
He said the emergency measures carried out by government after the incident are meaningless and will not change the fact that souls have perished, economy killed and Cameroonians frustrated because of an incompetent regime.
He extended his condolences to bereaved families and the injured and called on Cameroonians to pray and assist them.
“Another disaster is being nursed here. I never knew containers could be so useful in patching our roads. I begin to imagine whopping amount of money that will go into such poorly done work. I don’t want to start imagining what might happen in some years when rust will corrode this container. We are heading for another tragedy.
“Could the state not have been patient enough to come up with a viable solution to this rather than this ‘cuttam nailam’ work displayed here? Is this the adequate measure taken by the Head of state, Paul Biya to arrest the situation?” Fru Ndi bemoaned.

Dr Fomunyoh demands indemnification
The President of The Fomunyoh Foundation (TFF), an international organization, supporting human rights and democracy, has called for indemnification and proper medical care for the victims of the Eseka October 21 2016 train derailment.
In a statement, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh also sees the need for urgent crisis management policies in Cameroon.
“I hope that a thorough investigation by competent authorities and relevant services would allow us to determine the responsibilities of those involved. Such an investigation would facilitate an honest indemnification of victims and their families, and proper medical treatment of the wounded.” The statement reads in parts.

Camair-co flight scare
The misfortunes witnessed by the nation on that Black Friday could have been worse after a Camair-co flight scare. The flight transporting passengers from Douala to Bafoussam was forced to deviate to Yaounde before landing due to bad weather.
Camair-Co flight QC 272 took off from Douala International Airport Friday at 9am heading directly to Bamougoum airport, in the suburbs of Bafoussam. The landing that was previewed for 9:50 finally took place at noon.
Camair-Co blamed the delay on bad weather which forced the pilot to first head to Yaounde, before returning to the Western regional capital. The trip finally took place without any major incident.
The incident however fuelled rumours on social media that a Camair-co flight had caught fire on the tarmac of the Bafoussam airport. Camair-co management and the governor of the West Region debunked the rumours.
In a press release later that day, Governor Awah Fonka Augustine rubbished the allegations that a fire truck was seen at the Bafoussam airport. He reassured the public that everything is going on well at the airport that started operations last October 14.

Were ‘Prophets of doom’ right afterall?
Many observers have questioned if Friday’s incidents is the beginning of what some prophets had predicted.
Promise Cho Abanda, Pastor of the Ekona branch of the Winners Chapel International told The SUN, Saturday, September 24, that God has revealed to him in a vision that Boko Haram will attack on churches and fields in Cameroon.
“I want to call on the defence minister and the country at large to be aware of this menace that God has revealed will happen to Cameroon. I don’t know how, but they should put security in place in order to stop this evil that is revealed will happen. Peace to our nation, there shall be no evil in our nation. Christians should go on their knees and pray against this evil,” Cho advised.
Pastor Cho’s claim that God revealed an imminent Boko Haram attack to him came after two earlier prophesies – one by Apostle Suleman and another by Prophet Chirac.
Apostle Johnson Suleman, the founder of Omega Fire and Miracles Ministries, based in Auchi, Edo State in Nigeria said, Sunday, August 14, 2016, during a live service that Cameroonians will be experiencing a tragic explosion soon.
The televangelist noted for such prophecies said there will be an explosion in Cameroon in which many people will be killed.
“...Please pray for Cameroon. What I am seeing now, we have to pray for Cameroon so that the country will not cry. I see something explode...plenty people die,” Apostle Suleiman said in a prophecy.
Prophet Chirac Nyenti Tiku, Pastor of the Author of Solution Parish Muyuka in a prophecy, published in The SUN No. 0391 on August 1, said Mount Cameroon will erupt before the year 2016 goes memory lane.
Chirac said God revealed to him in a vision on July 21 that the highest peak in West Africa, which last erupted in 1999, will erupt again with untold casualties.

The Sun

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Rita Akana

25.Oct.2016

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On arrival at the Nsimalen International airport in Yaounde this evening (Sunday 23 October 2016), President Paul BIYA expressed his sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones in the train derailment in Eseka.

The President of the Republic was welcomed on arrival by senior state personalities: the President of the Senate, Marcel NIAT NJIFENJI; the Speaker of the National Assembly, CAVAYE YEGUIE DJIBRIL; the Prime Minister Head of Government, Philemon YANG; and the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand NGOH NGOH. President Paul BIYA granted brief audiences to these personalities before speaking to the press.

Paul Biya called for unity after the Eseka train accident in an emotional speech.He alluded to the sad events , saying he was deeply saddened . He said he has instructed government to take a number of measures to cushion the suffering of the victims. First , government shall take full charge of victims of the accident. He declared October 24 a national day of mourning for the victims . He exhorted all Cameroonians to show unity and remain courageous. President Paul Biya finally called for unity of hearts.

Observers were expecting a solemn declaration through a radio-televised speech, while others had speculated a rapid reorganization of the government as to point the fingers to who did not perform his duties well. However, the Cameroonian head of state spoke to his countrymen in a seriously looking mood. He expressed sadness and found sympathetic words to the bereaved families.

Last Sunday, in parts of the capital religious leaders from both the Christian and Muslim communities led additional prayer services.

Several African leaders including Senegal's Macky Sall and Niger's Mahamadou Issoufou expressed their condolences on social media.

Read beloew original speech by President Paul Biya

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Mbi James

24.Oct.2016

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President Paul Biya is expected to touch down at the Yaounde Nsimalen airport any time soon today.The Boeing 767-200 having onboard  the head of state, Paul Biya just crossed Douala on its way to Yaounde according to media sources. It is expected to  land at 4:05 p.m. local time. The president is expeted to deliver a speech at 8 p.m local time on Cameroon's state TV CRTV.Die-heart militants of Cameroon's ruling party, CPDM could be seen in their numbers rallying to the airport to welcome home the President who has been out of the Country since September the 16th, 2016.

Critics on soial media where quick to make a mockery of the arrival of Mr Biya with one user posting this.

 President Paul Biya will be on a state visit to Cameroon this Sunday and will deliver a speech to the nation.The length of  his stay will not disclosed but it is assumed that it will not long.

Original text in French

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Rita Akana

23.Oct.2016

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After the tragic Rail and Road incidents, The President of The Fomunyoh Foundation, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh sends sympathy message to grieved Cameroonian compatriots...

FULL MESSAGE..........

 

Fellow compatriots, yesterday Friday, October 21, our country experienced the worst train accident in its history when the Yaounde -- Douala inner-city train derailed in Eseka, Nyong & Kellé division of the Center region. According to reliable sources, the accident caused over 100 deaths and over 600 wounded. I hereby express my deepest heartfelt condolences to those that lost family members, friends and loved ones in this ghastly accident. I also wish a rapid recovery to those that sustained injuries. Indeed we are all in shock and tears because a disaster of this magnitude is a real national catastrophy.

Moreover this accident occurred only a few hours after the collapse of a pavement on the Yaounde - Douala road around Boumnyebel in the same division that cut off road communications between the two main cities of the country. During these challenging times of national mourning, and as we pay homage to our fallen compatriots, we must stay strong and resolute so as not to give room to a national psychosis or perverse sense of pessimism. I hope that à thorough investigation by competent authorities and relevant services would allow us to determine the responsibilities of those involved.

Such an investigation would facilitate an honest indemnification of victims and their families, and proper medical treatment of the wounded. Ultimately, we must draw lessons learned from these sad occurrences to institutionalize appropriate policies on crisis management and the maintenance and upgrading of our national infrastructure. May the good Lord (Allah) bless our dear country Cameroon, and reinforce our sense of national solidarity so we can continue to be each other's keeper.

 

Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh President The Fomunyoh Foundation

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Rita Akana

23.Oct.2016

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Local Cameroonians waiting to hear from loved ones after train accident. Many families still have not heard from their relatives in Yaounde who departed for Douala on that fateful Friday, 21 October 2016.

Families are looking for their relatives and crying because they are no where to be found. Babies have been left orphaned and alone in hospitals. 

It's been two days now since Train No. 152 derailed with thousands of passengers on board, and Cameroonians are still to be told the exact number of passengers who boarded the train, the cause of the accident, how many have died so far, and how many survived. However, CAMRAIL says it is consolidating a list of victims, and will make the list available later.

Yesterday October 22nd, 15 corpses were removed from the valley where the train fell, raising the dead toll to 70. Corpses of identified victims have been sent to the Yaounde Ekounou Military hospital mortuary, while those injured were evacuated to the Yaounde Central Hospital, Yaounde Military Hospital, CHU, CMS, hôpital gynéco-obstétrique, Yaounde General Hospital, Laquintine Hospital, Douala General Hospital, hôpital gynéco-obstétrique, and the Douala Military Hospital.

Psychological support units have been established in Douala and areworking hard in collaboration with the general hospital in Douala to give answers to desperate families. The crisis centers are active at the Camrail stations in Douala and Yaoundé. A hotline number has been made available by Camrail for all inquiries. (+237) 699 10 18 10.

 

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Rita Akana

22.Oct.2016

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President Paul Biya has declared Monday, October 24 2016 ia day of national mourning in Cameroon. The prsidential decree is in honour for the victims of the derailment of the Intercity Train in Esseka-Cameroon yesterday 21, October 2016.

The death Toll had risen to 75 and about 600 people remain in critical conditions as of today, 22, October 2016 Flags will be flown at half mast all day throughout the national territory.

Earlier on, the Head of State had instructed the government to provide full assistance to the survivors, while investigations will be made to determine the cause of the derailment.

 

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Rita Akana

22.Oct.2016

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