A tree that fell on a motorcade killed three Nigerian undergraduate students and injured 16 others in northern Cameroon.

An official said the victims were part of 50 students and six members of staff of Nigeria’s Taraba State University.

The students were on an excursion to the Bouba Ndjida National Park, North regional governor Jean Abate Edi’i told state television, CRTV on Wednesday.

“Following a tornado during their study mission to the park, a big tree unfortunately fell on the delegation, killing three and leaving 16 others with injuries,” the governor said.

The injured were taken to the Garoua regional hospital.

The hospital director, Dr Aboubakar Sadjo, said the staff had been mobilised to attend to the Nigerians.

The Taraba State University said the students were members of the Biological Science Department on a research trip to the neighbouring country.

Bouba Ndjida National Park is home to several animal species.

In 2012, heavily armed poachers from Chad and Sudan massacred several savannah elephants in the park.

Six troops and two guides were killed in the park in February during a clash with heavily-armed poachers on horseback. (Africareview/NAN)