Debris and particles of the engine engraved in peoples’ hearts.
Five years after the 21st October 2016 Eseka train crashed that killed more than 70 persons and injured many by the CAMRAIL train travelling from the Cameroon capital Yaounde to the economic capital Douala, the population of this locality are still in pains, frustration, disbelieve and disappointment as the memories of that faithful day are still in their minds.
The accident of CAMRAIL inter- city passenger train, a subsidiary company of the French Bollore group is described by many as the worst in the history of Cameroon railway transport. No one could imagine that on the 21st of October 2021, the hearts of the people of Eseka would still be bleeding due to the unfortunate incident that occurred there.
The removal or clearing of the train carriages after a long period of time by the state has not helped to heal the wounded minds of the individuals who saw lives perished within a short period of time.
The remains of the ashes and particles of the derailed and crashed train in Eseka on Friday, the 21st of October 2016 are engraved into the minds of those of the area in particular and Cameroonians as a whole.
After the accident, a day of national mourning was declared in the country and the sum of 1 billion FCFA was disbursed to compensate the victims of the train accident. The promise of erecting a monument at Eseka to honour those who lost their lives was made. To the greatest dismay of many, the promised has never been fulfilled. This is just a confirmation that Cameroon is really a land of promise where authorities never respect the promises made.
By Takang Bisong
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