Ten people died on the spot following a road accident involving six vehicles on Monday evening at Kibimbi along the Iganga-Tororo highway in Bugiri District.
Preliminary information indicates that the ten motor vehicles were all moving in the same direction towards Tororo, except for one vehicle, registration number KAE 254c/ZA 5971, a tanker loaded with molasses, which was traveling in the opposite direction towards Iganga.
According to police, motor vehicle registration number UAW 963m, a Toyota Hiace, attempted to overtake a queue of vehicles mentioned above. The driver noticed an oncoming vehicle while still overtaking and swerved to the left to yield, unaware that the oncoming vehicle was a trailer tanker loaded with molasses and pulling another trailer.
The rear part of the trailer collided with the taxi, crushing it against another trailer, KBJ 155c/ZD 2621, a Mercedes Benz. Consequently, the trailer tanker lost control, overturned, and caught fire.
10 people, including 8 passengers of the taxi, its driver, and the trailer tanker driver, lost their lives on the spot.
The traffic police responded to the scene immediately, and the bodies were transported to Bugiri hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased individuals, and investigations into the accident are underway,” police said.
The police crime report indicates that that 4,806 Ugandans lost their lives in road crashes in 2023, marking a notable increase from the 4,534 deaths recorded in 2022.
Of the total fatalities, pedestrians accounted for 1,675 deaths, motorcyclists 1,520, motorcycle passengers 614, vehicle passengers 324, and drivers 232. The figures highlight a concerning uptick in pedestrian deaths from 1,579 in 2022 to 1,675 in 2023, alongside a rise in motorcycle fatalities from 1,404 to 1,520.
For instance, 87 people lost their lives in road accidents between August 12 and August 19, 2023. Out of every 100 crashes, 22 people died while 61 percent of all accidents were a result of reckless driving.
