Residents of Tiko Road, Mutengene in Fako Division of the South West Region are still to recover from the shock of a tragic incident that befell them on Monday, February 6, 2012. While the usually crowded roundabout was bustling with the day’s activities, little did the people expect any accident.
Eye witness accounts hold that at about 3 pm, a palm oil tanker of about 40 tonnes, had brake failure. About 150 metres from the main roundabout, the tanker crushed two stationed vehicles alongside other objects that stood on its way. A few metres from a petrol station along the Tiko-Mutengene road, business structures were completely swept off before it finally overturned and came to a stop. As at press time, the exact number of victims was unknown. However, three deaths were recorded - two kids and a man. Meanwhile, the driver and his conductor or ‘motor boy’ were taken to hospital. Other victims were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Soon after the accident, the Secretary General in the South West Governor’s Office, Quetong Handerson Kongeh and his close aides, rushed to the scene. They were accompanied by the Regional Delegate for Transport and health officials. The movement of people and vehicles was equally controlled by security men. Through collective efforts by Chariot Construction Limited, the BIR and SONARA, cranes were dispatched to the spot. At exactly 1:30 am, the fallen vehicle was lifted to its normal position by a SONARA crane. The aim was to verify if some people were still trapped under.
After the close to 10-hour ordeal, the search party found no other victim under the fallen oil tanker. Mr. Quentong attributed the accident to the busy nature of the roundabout. He deplored roadside activities like selling, packing and offloading, amongst others. He called on the people to learn their lesson and rather make use of the Motor Park and the Main Market. Prior to the accident, the Divisional Officer of Tiko, Ungitoh Zachary, had repeatedly warned traders and the general public to desist from selling along the street. A day before the accident, an oil tanker collided with a lorry near the Police College (Mutengene) and all its oil spilled on to the tar.
