By A tragic road accident on Sunday night claimed the lives of at least 12 people and left six others injured in Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda.
The fatal crash occurred at around 10:00 PM at Lwaba Village, Kapyanga Sub-County, along the busy Jinja–Malaba highway. According to police, a Kampala–Tororo-bound commuter taxi collided with a trailer carrying a container from Malaba.
Mr. Michael Kafayo, spokesperson for the Busoga East Police Region, confirmed that the accident involved a Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UBQ 772A, and a trailer, registration number KBM 175S.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident may have been triggered by a reckless motorcyclist attempting to overtake the taxi. “An unidentified motorcycle heading in the same direction as the taxi lost control while trying to overtake. In an effort to avoid the motorcycle, the trailer driver traveling from Tororo towards Iganga swerved and lost control. The trailer’s container detached and crashed into the oncoming taxi,” Mr. Kafayo explained.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find several victims trapped under the container, including two believed to have been riding the motorcycle. The deceased include multiple unidentified male and female adults, as well as the taxi driver.
Six survivors, including the trailer driver, were rushed to Bugiri Hospital for treatment. Those in critical condition were later referred to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for advanced medical care.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Bugiri Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations as police continue investigations into the exact cause of the collision.
Police have urged all road users, especially motorcyclists, to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations to prevent further loss of life on Uganda’s highways.
