Uganda pastors killed in Cameroon train crash

Oct 25, 2016

Their bodies are still in Cameroon and families have appealing to the government to help repatriate the bodies

Two Ugandan pastors are among the 80 people that died in a train crash on Friday in Cameroon.

 passenger escapes a train car using a window as others leave from the site of a train derailment in seka  hoto A passenger escapes a train car using a window as others leave from the site of a train derailment in Eseka. AFP Photo

 

The train derailed on Friday evening, leaving scores injured with many blaming over loading as it was carrying an extra 300 passengers on top of its usual 600 capacity and was speeding from Yaoundé to the port city of Douala before one of the carriages flipped.

The accident occurred near the central town of Eseka ; 120km west of the capital Yaoundé.

Pastors Nathan Tumusiime and Nicodemus Nuwasiima from City Prayer Towers in Mbarara were identified among the dead. The duo had gone on an evangelical mission in the West African country.

Their bodies are still in Cameroon and families have are appealing to government and well-wishers to help in repatriating the bodies.

According to Anna Tumwine, wife to Tumusiime, her husband had spent over a month in Cameroon preaching the gospel.

"It's a hard moment. I don't know what to say for now. I am just praying that we get a breakthrough and return his body to the country," said Tumwine who was flanked by different pastors from Mbarara churches who had gathered at the deceased's home in Biharwe.

Nuwasiima is from Itendero in Sheema district.

The cost of repatriating the return of the pastors' remains is estimated at over sh50m.

Tumusiime has been on the pastoral committee of 10 Western Uganda districts and had been renowned for his love for social welfare.

 

Cameroonian President Paul Biya sent condolences to the bereaved families, on top of declaring a day of mourning in Cameroon; he also said the government would take over the treatment costs of the survivors.

"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the Camrail train derailment in Eseka. Over 70 passengers died and 600 wounded in the accident," President Paul Biya said on his official Facebook page.

Overloading of the train was brought about by the collapse of a bridge that joined the capital and Douala.

This saw eight additional wagons added on the train to accommodate the influx of passengers, and this, and the fact that the train was moving at a high speed is thought to have led to the accident.

A team has been appointed to investigate the accident.

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