One death and several injuries have been recorded following a road accident in the Biteng neighbourhood of Yaoundé on Thursday, after a heavy timber truck lost its brakes and ploughed into two taxis.Eyewitnesses say the truck a log-carrying vehicle locally known as a grumier suffered brake failures . Unable to slow down, the vehicle veered out of control and slammed into the two taxis, reducing both to wreckage.Emergency services responded to the scene, evacuating the wounded for medical care. The incident has reignited concerns about the dangers posed by heavy timber trucks operating on Yaoundé’s urban roads. Critics say vehicles of this type are frequently overloaded, poorly maintained, and rarely subjected to rigorous brake inspections a dangerous combination in densely populated neighbourhoods where they share the road with smaller vehicles, motorcycles, and pedestrians.Residents and road safety advocates are now calling on authorities to act, demanding stricter enforcement of vehicle roadworthiness standards and an urgent review of the routes assigned to heavy haulage trucks passing through residential areas.This latest accident is far from an isolated incident. Timber trucks have been involved in a string of fatal crashes across Cameroon in recent years, yet systemic reform of the sector remains elusive. For the people of Biteng, Thursday’s scene of twisted metal and shattered glass was a stark reminder of how quickly lives can be lost on roads where oversight remains scarce.
Tsague stevy