Packed passenger train derails in Eseka

Oct 21 A packed passenger train travelling between Cameroon's capital Yaounde and the port city of Douala derailed on Friday, a passenger on the train and state rail company Camrail said.

"There was a loud noise. I looked back and the wagons behind us left the rails and started rolling over and over. There was a lot of smoke," said a Reuters journalist travelling in a wagon near the front of the train.

Camrail, which is operated by France's Bollore Railways , confirmed via its official Facebook page that an incident had occurred near the train station in the town of Eseka, around 120 km (75 miles) west of Yaounde.

The company said it had sent teams to the site.

There was no immediate confirmation of deaths or injuries, but social media users posted photos purported to be taken at the scene of the accident which showed several mangled bodies laying beside or pinned beneath wagons.

The Reuters journalist travelling on the train said that, before its departure from Yaounde, a railway employee said eight additional wagons had been added to the normally nine-wagon train to accommodate extra passengers.

It was unclear if that played a role in the accident.

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