Nine people are confirmed dead and 16 others critically injured in a road accident at Kamutuuza Trading Centre along the Kampala-Masaka highway.
The accident involved a bus registration number UAX 236M belonging to High Way Coaches, which was heading for Kanungu district from Kampala last evening.
The bus reportedly collided with a stationary trailer truck that had been parked by the roadside, about 11 kilometers to Masaka town.
This brings to seven, the number of fatal accidents along the Kampala-Masaka highway in period of two and half months. Masaka district police traffic commander Hassan Ssekalema says that the dead have not been identified yet. URN has learnt that one the dead is Rev. Enock Komunda, a cleric from Kinkizi Diocese in western Uganda.
Ssekalema adds that survivors have been taken to Masaka hospital for treatment. He attributes the accident to reckless driving and adds that police have almost exhausted all approaches to curtail irresponsible driving but many drivers remain non-compliant.
Justine Nabuleme, one of the passengers nursing injuries at Masaka hospital says that she survived after jumping out the bus through the window. Nabuleme and several other survivors suspect that besides over speeding, the driver could have dozed off on the wheel.
She also attributes the accident to reckless driving. The bus driver is reported to be on the run.
10 MORE PERISH IN IDENTICAL ACCIDENT
In related development, the number of passengers who died during the motor accident along Lira-Gulu high way in Oyam district has risen to 10.
The accident occurred barely 2km to Kamdini when a pickup registration number UAP 374V was knocked down by a trailer registration number UAZ 579C on Wednesday afternoon. The pickup was carrying traders from Kamdini market heading to Wirao village, in Aber sub-county. Seven people died on the spot.
They were identified as Geoffrey Onono the driver of the Pickup, Florence Oluge, Alice Akoc, Cijaria Akoc, Sarah Adongo, Rose Akello and Sidonia Akite. They were all residents of Wirao village.
Oyam District Police Commander Waiswa Najib says however that three more people died on arrival to Atapara hospital in Oyam district where they had been taken for treatment. They include Betty Alaba, Rose Akello and Grace Akude.
Waiswa says seven other passengers are still admitted at Atapara hospital in critical condition.
Emmanuel Nyalo, the Assistant Human Resource manager of Sino-hydro Corporation Ltd, the company constructing the Karuma power dam who witnessed the accident says the trailer rammed into the pickup vehicle that was parked by the road side.
The trailer driver identified as Bernard Ssengendo is detained at Kamdini police station.
Source