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Eséka Train Derailment: Cameroon Remembers the Disaster Ten Years On

On October 21, 2016, a Camrail train derailed at Eséka, killing 79 people. A decade later, victims' families continue to grieve. Cameroonian courts found Camrail guilty of involuntary manslaughter and ordered compensation.


James Okonkwo
James Okonkwo
October 22, 2026  ·  1 min read
B-Empire Magazine
Brief

On October 21, 2016, a Camrail train derailed at Eséka, approximately 100 kilometers from Yaoundé, resulting in the deaths of 79 people in what remains Cameroon’s deadliest railway accident.

Ten years after this tragedy, the victims’ families still struggle to come to terms with their loss, reflecting the profound trauma caused by the event.

Camrail, then a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by Cameroonian courts. The company was ordered to compensate the victims’ families, marking a significant judicial milestone in acknowledging responsibility for the disaster.

Sources

  • France 24 (FR) — Déraillement d’un train à Eséka : 10 ans après la catastrophe, le Cameroun se souvient (2026-10-21)

B-Empire Magazine newsroom — reported from the sources cited above. Live feed

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