17 years today: Remembering Nsam fire incident

This railway-line tells the story of over 200 people who went to fetch free fuel and never returned.

This horrific incident occurred on a Valentine’s Day- February 1998 at the Nsam Neighbourhood in Yaounde as a result of a collision between two oil tankers.

When the carriages of the tanker ruptured and oil spilled out, a large number of taxi drivers and the local population stopped by to collect free fuel to either sell or use themselves.

Eyewitnesses recalled that the fire occurred when one of the excited petrol dealers dropped his lighted cigarette around the area starting the fire which consumed majority of the persons who came to collect free fuel including some onlookers.

The fire fighting Brigade came afterwards to the scene but were unable to contain the wild flame which never stopped burning for a day. For a couple of days, a column of black smoke hung over the area of the blast. More than 150 victims who were hospitalised after having sustained serious injuries. Some of them reportedly died shortly afterwards.

Taking a look around, the neighbourhood where the incident occurred, we caught site of some relatives and friends of some victims.

The Quarter Head for block one, Esomba Atangana Jean could not hold back his tears as he recounted the story of his two sons who went and never returned: “it was a bitter pill for me to swallow. Indeed to lose two sons was a big blow to me. These two boys had rushed to witness what was happening as they saw the crowd, but unfortunately did not come back. It is difficult for me to forget about this 17-year old event.”

Moreover, 42-year-old Abesolo Jules Pierre who was 25 by then lost most of his friends in the incident. “On that fateful day, I went to church for prayers just to learn after my return that most of my friends perished in the incident.

I must confess that God saved my life from this horrific event because if I had not gone to church on that day, I would have joined my friends to fetch free fuel around this rail line.”