At least 63 people have been confirmed dead and several others injured in a grisly road accident that occurred early Wednesday morning along the Kampala–Gulu Highway.
According to a statement issued by the Uganda Police Force, the crash happened at about 12:15 am at Kitaleeba Village near Asili Farm in Kiryandongo District. The accident involved four vehicles: two Isuzu buses, a Tata lorry, and a Toyota Surf.
“The fatal crash involved four motor vehicles: UBF 614X Isuzu bus (Nile Star Coaches), CGO 5132AB Toyota Surf, UBK 647C Tata Lorry, and UAM 045V Isuzu bus (Planet Company),” police said in the statement signed by SP Kananura Michael, the Traffic Police spokesperson.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of the Nile Star bus (UBF 614X), which was traveling from Kampala to Gulu, attempted to overtake a lorry at the same time another bus (UAM 045V) from the opposite direction was overtaking a Toyota Surf.
“Both buses met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres. One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times,” the police explained.
All occupants in the involved vehicles died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries and were rushed to Kiryandongo Hospital and nearby medical facilities.
“The bodies of the deceased were conveyed to the same hospital mortuary for post-mortem and identification,” the statement added.
Police have attributed the accident to dangerous overtaking, which remains one of the leading causes of road crashes in Uganda.
“We strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking,” SP Kananura advised.
The Police extended their condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a quick recovery to the injured,” the statement read.
