YAOUNDE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people died early Friday in a crash on the Yaounde-Bafoussam highway in Cameroon, police and witnesses said.
The accident happened in Nomale in the Ndikinimeki subdivision of the Mbam-et-Inoubou division, Centre region.
A passenger bus slammed into a truck loaded with planks that was parked on the road. Among the victims were seven members of the same family who were traveling to a funeral, witnesses said.
State broadcaster CRTV reported that about 40 people were injured in the collision.
Local police said formal investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Road accidents are common in Cameroon and are frequently blamed on poor road conditions and reckless driving. Data from the Cameroonian Ministry of Transport shows that about 1,500 people die each year in road accidents across the central African country. ■