The English link above does not resolve well, so
The English link above does not resolve well, so here is the rest of the story, from CameroonForum at Yahoo Groups:
Mungo Bridge, Symbol Of Cameroon's Unity, Collapses
By Bouddih Adams, Pegue Manga & Innocent Mbunwe
Smoke was still oozing from the debris at about 8:30
am when The Post arrived at the River Mungo. The
bridge lay in ruins, while the truck lying on its left
side had burnt to fine ashes. The driver, and, a lady,
who reportedly boarded the tanker at Bonaberi, Douala,
were burnt beyond recognition. Only traces of their
skulls could be seen.
How It Happened
At about 11.00 pm, July 1, a petrol tanker,
transporting about 15,000 litres of fuel from Douala
to Limbe, hit the rails of the Mungo Bridge, capsized
on its left side, caught fire and exploded in an
inferno fuelled by 15,000-litre of petroleum.
The immense heat from the fire, engineers and experts
hold, caused the metal bars holding the bridge to give
way and the bridge collapsed.
The drivers aide, (motor-boy) managed to escape
before the explosion, but the fire had caught his
legs, which the police guarding the bridge helped put
out. The driver and a woman they reportedly picked up
at Bonaberi, destined for Limbe, were trapped in the
drivers cabin. They burnt to ashes with only what
remained of their skulls and entrails left.
Administrative Response
Most of the bridge has collapsed into the river and
only the metal railings can be seen. Only about 12
metres of tar at the Douala end hangs above the river.
The Governor of the Southwest Province, Thomas Ejake
Mbonda, was alerted and he rushed to the scene.
Rumours that another truck had fallen into the river
prompted the Governor to deploy soldiers under the
bridge. They searched the area but found nothing. No
traces of sabotage, too. The following morning, the
Governor went back to the bridge where he declared the
area a disaster zone and stopped commuters from
crossing the river in canoes, "for security reasons."
At a meeting chaired by Southwest and Littoral
Governors in Mungo village, July 2, Ejake Mbonda
explained that the Southwest Gendarmerie Legion
Commander has been asked to investigate the matter. He
said there was no sabotage.
"It was a simple accident," the Governor said. He said
thanks to the motor boy, they were able to trace the
owner of the tanker, a certain Alain Bete, who,
unfortunately has not made it to the scene of the
accident despite several phone calls.
The Governor said at his level he has already taken
some measures to ensure continuity in transportation.
Vehicles coming into the Southwest will pass through
Loum and Kumba. Lighter vehicles could pass through
Pendamboko to Muyuka. A third option, the Governor
said, is to cross the river by canoe.
"By 2: 00 pm we would put in place a number of
military boats to transport people across the river,"
Ejake said. He said the measures are temporary, and
that, "hierarchy has been informed of the situation.
It is now up to them to take concrete action.
Disagreement
Army General, E. Ngambou, from Douala, proposed the
creation of a crisis commission made up of competent
people.
"Tasks should be assigned immediately, for it is
necessary that circulation be re-established as soon
as possible," he said.
Ngambou said they have the equipment necessary to
execute the task.
But Ejake disagreed. "Let us be careful. The final
decision on this issue does not concern us. I hope the
commission will not impose on the government. It is
left to the government to decide."
Stating that he had already taken contingency
measures, Ejake doubted if the administration has the
competence to rally engineers to work on the bridge.
"Let us avoid taking decisions that might not be
welcomed," Ejake warned.
A French engineer, working on the Bonaberi Bridge,
said the temporary measures taken by the Governor were
salutary. He advised that the population be kept away
from the embankments on which the 35-year-old bridge
was built.
"Much pressure on the embankment might orchestrate
another collapse, resulting in huge collateral
damages." The expert said. He said his company is
ready to assist in the reconstruction of the bridge.
Prime Minister, Peter Mafany Musonge, convened a
meeting consequent to the crisis and a four-man
mission was dispatched from Yaounde to the site. The
mission comprising the Ministers of Public Works,
Transport, Territorial Administration and
Decentralisation and other government officials,
visited the collapsed bridge on July 2.
It has ten days to present its report to the Prime
Minister.
According to the Minister of Public Works, FCFA 3
billion is needed to construct a new bridge.
Buns, the company that has been carrying out
maintenance on the Mutengene-Kumba road, has been
urged to intensify its efforts. FCFA 300 million, The
Post gathered, will be needed to grade the Buea-Kumba
road.
When The Post attempted to talk to the lone survivor
of the accident, hospitalised in the Limbe General
Hospital, two police constables on guard stopped this
reporter. The policemen: Minkam and Nkafu Bema asked
The Post to present an authorisation from the Delegate
General for National Security for the Southwest
Province before they could grant any access.
National Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic
Front, SDF, Ni John Fru Ndi, visited the disaster site
on Saturday, July 3. He requested that government
urgently start constructing a new bridge.
