100 dead in Cameroon rail tragedy

Clean-up crews were searching yesterday for the cause of a train derailment and explosion that left as many as 100 people dead on the southern outskirts of Cameroon's capital.

Rescue workers were still gathering bodies from the scene early yesterday and sending them to a nearby military base for identification. Government figures indicated the toll was at least 84, although doctors and the city coroner's office said the number was about 100. The crash occurred on Saturday after two oil tanker wagons were detached from a train and derailed while rolling loose on the tracks, said a police officer investigating the accident. The tankers ruptured and began spilling fuel, said police investigator Robert Tiati Nlem.

The police officer's son was among the victims in the explosion. State- controlled television on Saturday reported the tanker cars ruptured after colliding with a second train.

- AP