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Three injured in Uganda fuel trucks fire

Sunday June 17 2018
Crash

The scene at the Iganga-Bugiri highway in eastern Uganda after fuel trucks burst into flames on July 17, 2018. PHOTO | DAILY MONITOR

By MONITOR

Three people sustained serious injuries after two fuel trucks caught fire on the Iganga-Bugiri highway in eastern Uganda on Sunday morning.

The incident involving trucks belonging to Nile Gaz Company, occurred Busesa Village, Ibulanku Sub-county in Iganga District.

Both trucks were reportedly going to refill from another one belonging to the same company, which overturned after it went out of control.

The truck that overturned was traveling from Kenya's Mombasa port to Kanyanya, a Kampala suburb.

An inferno

According to eyewitness accounts, the emptying of fuel from the overturned truck into the other two went on smoothly until one driver tried to ignite his engine, triggering an inferno.

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Mr Joseph Badaza, an eyewitness, said in the process of refilling the trucks, some petrol spilled onto the battery of one of the trucks and when the driver turned on the ignition, it started a fire.

“In the process of withdrawing fuel, some petrol spilled on the battery and the fire started when the driver tried to start the engine,” Mr Badaza said, adding that when fire started, several people with containers who attempted to siphon fuel, managed to escape, leaving three others, including one of the truck drivers identified as Farouk Ndawula, injured.

The battery

The two other seriously injured causalities were rushed to Iganga Hospital.

Speaking to the Daily Monitor from his hospital bed, Mr Ndawula said the problem was caused by the locals who were siphoning fuel.

“As we were withdrawing fuel from the overturned truck into the two trucks, the locals were busy siphoning fuel and it is this petrol which spilled onto the battery,” he said.

It took about an hour for the police fire brigade to respond and extinguish the fire.

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