Driver blamed for Sudan bus accident
Jun 20, 2011
PRELIMINARY findings of a joint investigation into last week’s accident in Southern Sudan involving two Ugandan buses which left 28 people dead and about 70 others injured blame the crash on human error.
By Steven Candia
PRELIMINARY findings of a joint investigation into last week’s accident in Southern Sudan involving two Ugandan buses which left 28 people dead and about 70 others injured blame the crash on human error.
Uganda traffic boss Basil Mugisha, who visited the scene of the crash together with a contingent of both Ugandan and Southern Sudan police officers said the accident was caused by overspeedind and careless driving.
He said the Uganda Police will jointly investigate the accident with the Southern Sudan police.
“We went to the scene with our inspector of vehicles together with police officers from Southern Sudan and interviewed eye witnesses, recorded statement and drew sketches. Actually we did everything that we would have done if the accident had occurred here,†he said.
He said though the Sudan police will take the leading role, the Uganda police will complement their efforts given that Southern Sudan is still in the process of building its police.
Mugisha said though both buses were speeding, the head-on-collision occurred after Baby Coach veered into the lane of Bakulu coach which was heading in the opposite direction. Baby coach was heading to Kampala from Juba while Bakulu coach travelling in the opposite direction.
Twenty eight people, 17 of them Ugandans died when the two buses, Bakulu and Baby coaches collided head-on near Pajili village in Nimule, 40km from the border on Friday.
Bodies of 17 victims were transported over night from Gulu to Kampala while many of the survivors with various injuries were either transferred by ambulance or airlifted from both Nimule and Gulu to Mulago National Referral Hospital on Saturday.
Mulago hospital working together with the Police yesterday began handing over the bodies of the victims to their relatives.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba yesterday said the bodies were handed over after being identified and a postmortem examination carried out by a team of police doctors.
PRELIMINARY findings of a joint investigation into last week’s accident in Southern Sudan involving two Ugandan buses which left 28 people dead and about 70 others injured blame the crash on human error.
Uganda traffic boss Basil Mugisha, who visited the scene of the crash together with a contingent of both Ugandan and Southern Sudan police officers said the accident was caused by overspeedind and careless driving.
He said the Uganda Police will jointly investigate the accident with the Southern Sudan police.
“We went to the scene with our inspector of vehicles together with police officers from Southern Sudan and interviewed eye witnesses, recorded statement and drew sketches. Actually we did everything that we would have done if the accident had occurred here,†he said.
He said though the Sudan police will take the leading role, the Uganda police will complement their efforts given that Southern Sudan is still in the process of building its police.
Mugisha said though both buses were speeding, the head-on-collision occurred after Baby Coach veered into the lane of Bakulu coach which was heading in the opposite direction. Baby coach was heading to Kampala from Juba while Bakulu coach travelling in the opposite direction.
Twenty eight people, 17 of them Ugandans died when the two buses, Bakulu and Baby coaches collided head-on near Pajili village in Nimule, 40km from the border on Friday.
Bodies of 17 victims were transported over night from Gulu to Kampala while many of the survivors with various injuries were either transferred by ambulance or airlifted from both Nimule and Gulu to Mulago National Referral Hospital on Saturday.
Mulago hospital working together with the Police yesterday began handing over the bodies of the victims to their relatives.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba yesterday said the bodies were handed over after being identified and a postmortem examination carried out by a team of police doctors.