2024-02-13 14:09:43
The rail transport concessionaire Camrail launched an alert this Wednesday, February 1 after one of its trains fatally mowed down two people the day before near Yaoundé. The company reminds that it is strictly forbidden to walk or lie down on the tracks, as these private spaces represent a serious danger.
Two victims including one fatality near Yaoundé
The events took place on the night of Monday January 30 to Tuesday January 31, on the outskirts of the Cameroonian capital. Around midnight, a Camrail freight train hit two individuals who were lying on the rails, precisely in Olembe.
Despite the driver’s loud honking and then the activation of the emergency braking system, the violence of the impact could not be avoided. Results: a man in his thirties killed instantly, and a 45-year-old woman seriously injured.
Victims in an advanced state of intoxication
According to the first elements of the investigation and the testimonies collected, the two victims were in a very advanced state of drunkenness after having spent the evening drinking. A recklessness which could have cost the life of the second victim, still hospitalized, if the train had traveled at high speed.
We hope that this deadly tragedy serves as a lesson to raise awareness of the deadly risks of entering or loitering on railway rights-of-way, private property prohibited to the public, recalls Camrail. Because despite prevention campaigns, accidents on the railways still remain too numerous, due to lack of caution on the part of local residents.