Fuel tanker explosion kills at least eight people in Cameroon

At least eight people died in the explosion of a tanker on the road linking Limbe to Douala in Cameroon on Friday.

Firefighters were working throughout the day to extinguish the flames of the raging truck, which carried more than 36,000 litres of fuel when it exploded.

Authorities said the tragedy began when the truck lost its brakes on the Mutengene Hill. It ended its uncontrolled descent near the Likomba bridge in Tiko.

The force of the blast spread the flames over a wide area, pushing residents to flee. Around 10 houses and several vehicles were engulfed in flames.

Among the eight dead were men, women, and at least one child, many burned beyond recognition.

"We identified those we could see," said Okwandum Samuel Ndenzen, disaster manager for the Limbe Red Cross."We cannot even determine if that is all, because the vehicles are still there, but we searched everywhere and found nothing else,."

Three severely injured survivors were taken to Bingo Hospital, while several slightly injured military personnel were treated on-site.

The severity of the situation prompted the city of Douala to dispatch an additional team of firefighters. A detour was set up along the national road to ease traffic, which had been blocked all day.

As the smoke cleared, Likomba was left assessing the cost of a disaster that struck without warning.

Meanwhile, the nearby watercourse was contaminated by fuel runoff, raising fears of a potential health crisis.