Five dead, scores injured on Kampala-Gulu highway crash

Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five people have been killed in a road crash and scores injured in Migyera town council along the Kampala – Gulu Highway.

The crash that happened at 5:30 am involved a bus belonging to California bus company registration number UBB 538K and a truck number UBC 209A loaded with charcoal, all heading to Kampala City.

Julius Sebwato the Red Cross Focal Person for Nakasongola District said that the bus driver that was carrying passengers from Arua City rammed into a stationery truck from behind which had broken down in the night.

Sebwato said that some passengers and the mechanic, Alex Muwanga who was under the truck died on the spot while others were injured. Sebwato added that the Police together with Red Cross evacuated the injured passengers to health centers for treatment.

Some victims were rushed to St Francis Health Centre III, Nakasongola Health Centers IV, and hospitals in Kampala.

Charles Gordon Mawanda the PWD Councillor at Migyera town council said that passengers blamed the accident on the reckless driving by the bus driver who survived and escaped after the incident.

Mawanda said that the survivors narrated the driver had been warned several times by the passengers over reckless driving in vain after he almost knocked another car at Corner Kamdini town.

A pick-up registration number UBK 688S which was transporting newspapers for Daily Monitor was also caught in the accident but the occupants survived unhurt.

Sam Twineamazina the Acting Savannah Police Spokesperson said that 24 passengers were injured.

Police towed the vehicles to Migyera Police Station to clear traffic along the highway.

Kampala-Gulu highway is prone to accidents and it registers at least one accident per week.

The accidents are blamed on speeding, reckless driving, and narrow road among other causes.

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