By Swift News
A man narrowly escaped death after his car sank on the flooded Abim-Napak road at Lion’s Bridge on August 27.
Darlington Lorika recounted the harrowing ordeal that left him in shock and fearing for his life.
Lorika was driving along the road when he encountered a flooded section of Lion’s Bridge.
What appeared to be shallow water suddenly deepened, causing his car to sink rapidly.
“The water started covering the bonnet, and the engine began to lose power,” Lorika recalled.
“I kept accelerating, praying for the car to move. Those few moments felt like a lifetime, caught between life and death.”
Miraculously, Lorika managed to manoeuvre the car out of the deep water, escaping what could have been a fatal accident.
He described the experience as a terrifying brush with death, crediting divine intervention for his rescue.
“I prayed for God to rescue me, and somehow, the car moved out of the water,” he said.
Lion’s Bridge, which connects Abim to Napak district and Moroto, has been a notorious trouble spot for travelers, prone to flooding and frequent road hazards for decades.
In 2022, the Minister for Works and Transport, Musa Ecweru, issued an ultimatum to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to reconstruct the bridge, but little has changed since.
Due to the persistent flooding, drivers from Moroto to Abim are forced to take a longer route, nearly 300 kilometers via Soroti.
Mr Joseph Otim, a Moroto resident who frequently visits his family in Abim, expressed frustration: “It is quite expensive, but I have no choice. I have to visit my family often, and driving through the flooded bridge is too risky.”
Drivers who attempt to cross Lion’s Bridge risk being swept away by floodwaters, a constant danger that threatens the lives of motorists in the region.
Many are calling on the government and UNRA to take immediate action to address the flooding and ensure safe passage for all road users.
As the rainy season continues, the community remains on high alert, hoping for a long-term solution to the persistent flooding at Lion’s Bridge.
Credit: Nile Post.
