Cameroon rail company, Camrail, and 10 of its executives were convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday over a 2016 rail disaster that killed over 79 people and injured around 600, AFP said on Wednesday.

Going by the AFP report, those convicted by the court in the central town of Eseka included the company’s former chief executive Didier Vandenbon, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, Guy-Olivier Moteng had said.

Three other defendants were acquitted, he added.

The court will shortly hand down sentences and determine damages, attorneys said.

The trial started last November but was plagued by repeated adjournments. However, the Eseka court of first instance yesterday ruled in favour of victims.

The ruling, follows an initial inquiry ordered by President Paul Biya, which found the rail company was at fault and the train had been travelling too fast.

The train was travelling from the capital Yaounde to the economic hub of Douala when it came off the rails near Eseka on October 21, 2016.

*Source:AFP