Cameroon Hit by Deadly Series of Road Accidents Across Three Regions in a Single Day

The most fatal incident occurred along the Bafoussam–Yaoundé highway in the Centre Region, specifically in the commune of Ebebda on National Road No. 4. According to initial reports, a 70-seater passenger bus collided head-on with a smaller vehicle, resulting in five fatalities — all occupants of the smaller vehicle. The cause of the collision remains under investigation, but authorities point to speed and poor overtaking judgment as potential factors.

Earlier in the day, tragedy struck in Banefo, a small locality on the Bafoussam–Foumban road in the West Region. A speeding truck veered off the road and crashed into makeshift roadside shelters, instantly killing two people who were inside. Witnesses described the scene as horrifying, with emergency services arriving too late to save the victims.

Meanwhile, in Melong — a town straddling the Littoral and Centre regions — a serious accident involving a passenger bus from the agency “Papa Ngassi” and a fuel tanker occurred on National Road No. 5. The bus, carrying 32 passengers en route from Douala to Bafang, reportedly struck the tanker on a straight stretch of road under circumstances that remain unclear. The official provisional toll is four dead, with dozens injured. Survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals in Melong, Bonassama, Nkongsamba, and Bafang.

A Grim Trend of Road Carnage

The clustering of such fatal accidents on a single day underscores a growing crisis on Cameroon’s highways. Poor road conditions, lack of enforcement of traffic regulations, reckless driving, and fatigue among commercial drivers continue to combine into a deadly mix that claims lives almost daily.

Transport experts and civil society actors have long called for urgent government intervention — including road maintenance, installation of warning signs, routine vehicle checks, and better training for drivers. Yet, meaningful reforms remain slow or nonexistent.

"This is no longer an accident. It's a system failure," said a road safety advocate based in Bafoussam. "Every day that passes without a national strategy on road safety is a day we gamble with people's lives."

State Response Lacking

Despite the frequency and severity of such accidents, the state’s response remains limited to reactive measures. Families of victims are often left to fend for themselves, with minimal state support for funeral costs, medical care, or trauma recovery.

"These roads are killing us more than any disease or war," one Melong resident told Cameroon Concord. "It’s always the same story — more deaths, more promises, no action."

A Call for Action

With the Easter holidays approaching and travel activity expected to increase, many are now pleading for immediate government action to prevent further loss of life. Civil society groups are demanding a nationwide audit of transport agencies and stricter regulation of bus companies, many of which are known to overload vehicles or push drivers beyond safe limits.

For now, Cameroon mourns once again, as families bury their loved ones and survivors wrestle with wounds, both physical and emotional.

Cameroon Concord News
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