Uganda bus crash leaves 16 dead, scores injured
Friday January 06 2023
The wreckage of the bus that rammed into a stationary trailer along Kampala-Gulu highway, killing 16 people on January 6, 2023. PHOTO | COURTESY | MONITOR
At least 16 people died and 21 others were injured after a Gulu-bound bus rammed into a stationary trailer at Adebe trading centre in Kamdini along Kampala-Gulu highway in northern Uganda on Friday.
Police said the 12 people died on the spot, while four others died at Atapara Hospital where they had been rushed for treatment.
“It's alleged that a bus registration number UAT 259P, which belongs to Roblyn bus company, was travelling from Kampala to Gulu ramped into a stationary trailer at around midnight of January 6, 2023 along Kampala-Gulu highway. The trailer was allegedly loading at Adebe trading centre just one kilometre to the Kamdini checkpoint,” North Kyoga region police spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema said.
The dead were taken to Anyeke Health IV pending postmortem, he added.
“The cause of the accident is yet to be established, but preliminary findings indicate wrong parking by the trailer driver with no warning signs. It's a very unfortunate incident. We call for calmness from members of the public; our condolences to the bereaved families,” he said.
Uganda has witnessed an increase in the number of road accidents during the holiday season.
On Tuesday, the traffic police revealed that 104 road crashes were registered across the country between December 30, 2022 and January 1.
The report released by the traffic police spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police Faridah Nampiima, revealed that 28 of the accidents led to the loss of lives.
“…49 were serious [accidents] and 27 were minor from December 30, 2022 to January 1. Out of 104 road crashes, we registered 149 victims, 35 died and 114 sustained serious injuries,” she said.
According to police, the biggest cause of the crashes was reckless driving where 20 fatal, 39 serious injuries and 17 minor accidents were registered.