By Frank Kamuntu
At least seven people have been confirmed dead. At the same time, over 30 have sustained injuries following a collision between a bus and a truck in Kirumba Village, Lwengo District, in the wee hours of Monday, August 19 on the Masaka-Mbarara highway.
The accident occurred around 4 a.m. as a speeding bus, registration number UBQ 621 Z, owned by Gateway Bus Company, collided head-on with a Fuso Fighter truck, registration number UBM 673 K, which was loaded with sacks of maize flour. The truck was travelling from Masaka to Mbarara City. The deceased, who are yet to be identified, were reportedly on the bus coming from Kabale in western Uganda en route to Kampala.
Eyewitness Richard Ssekitoreko, chairperson of Kirumba Village, stated that many passengers on the bus sustained various injuries, while those in the truck also suffered multiple injuries, including fractures. He attributed the crash to the bus driver’s attempt to overtake another vehicle.
“The bus driver was in the process of overtaking a Jaguar bus when he miscalculated, resulting in a head-on collision with the oncoming truck,” Ssekitoreko explained.
Close to 69 passengers are believed to have been on board. Many of the injured were taken to local clinics in Kyazanga Town Council and Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.
Twaha Kasirye, Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, confirmed that a traffic team is on-site gathering information about the crash and revealed that,“I will provide a detailed statement once our team returns from the field.”
This incident marks the third fatal crash involving a bus on this highway in the past year. On August 28, 2023, a bus owned by Global Bus Company, registration number UBB 985 M, skidded off the highway, resulting in two deaths and over 20 injuries. Just days later, another accident involving a bus from Perfect Coaches, registration number UBF 025G, also skidded off the highway, killing at least two and injuring 17 others.
In response to the rising number of road accidents, police reintroduced Operation Fika Salama (Reach Home Safely) along major highways last year to combat reckless driving. Despite the road’s smooth surface and climbing lanes, the Masaka-Mbarara highway remains one of the country’s most accident-prone routes.
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