Six Perish In Lugazi Accident
Sep 27, 2002
The six lay forever silent in their tiny isolated building of death. Pick axes and saws were used to hack through the mangled metal to free the injured.
By Patrick Luganda
The six lay forever silent in their tiny isolated building of death. Pick axes and saws were used to hack through the mangled metal to free the injured.
Six people perished on the spot yesterday at Kitega village near Lugazi when a commuter taxi heading to Kampala collided head-on with a Fuso truck heading to Jinja. Seven seriously injured passengers were admitted to Kawolo hospital.
A heavy midday downpour is believed to have blinded the drivers of the speeding vehicles, eyewitnesses said.
Wailing relatives thronged the hospital mortuary to identify their dear ones.
Scores of anxious residents abandoned their business and rushed to the hospital compound. The heartless, posing as rescue workers, jumped over the scattered bodies in search of valuables to loot.
Yunus Mubi Azalwa of Iganga, who was driving the Fuso truck, lay writhing in pain in an awkward crouching position at the hospital.
The turn-boy, Arafat Bakaki of Nasuti, Iganga, died while a passenger, Musa Kakooza of Nagojje, suffered a wound on the leg from one of the rescue axes.
The Police said the accident was a result of reckless driving. They declined to divulge more information as investigations were still going on.
The OC Traffic, Robert Mugude, identified the dead as Robert Kiwanuka Sempala of Najjembe, Ibrahim Katongole of Nakibizzi and David Magaya, the conductor of the mini-bus.
Two bodies, one of a lady in a flowered dress and that of a man in a black suit with a blue shirt were not identified.
Other injured people were taken to hospitals in Jinja and Kampala. Those admitted to Kawolo were Othieno Odong, Yunus Mubi Azalwa, Godfrey Dhirimusanga, Musa Kakooza, Balson Okello and Florence Nabakooza.
Eva Arinaitwe was taken to Mulago hospital.
Ends
The six lay forever silent in their tiny isolated building of death. Pick axes and saws were used to hack through the mangled metal to free the injured.
Six people perished on the spot yesterday at Kitega village near Lugazi when a commuter taxi heading to Kampala collided head-on with a Fuso truck heading to Jinja. Seven seriously injured passengers were admitted to Kawolo hospital.
A heavy midday downpour is believed to have blinded the drivers of the speeding vehicles, eyewitnesses said.
Wailing relatives thronged the hospital mortuary to identify their dear ones.
Scores of anxious residents abandoned their business and rushed to the hospital compound. The heartless, posing as rescue workers, jumped over the scattered bodies in search of valuables to loot.
Yunus Mubi Azalwa of Iganga, who was driving the Fuso truck, lay writhing in pain in an awkward crouching position at the hospital.
The turn-boy, Arafat Bakaki of Nasuti, Iganga, died while a passenger, Musa Kakooza of Nagojje, suffered a wound on the leg from one of the rescue axes.
The Police said the accident was a result of reckless driving. They declined to divulge more information as investigations were still going on.
The OC Traffic, Robert Mugude, identified the dead as Robert Kiwanuka Sempala of Najjembe, Ibrahim Katongole of Nakibizzi and David Magaya, the conductor of the mini-bus.
Two bodies, one of a lady in a flowered dress and that of a man in a black suit with a blue shirt were not identified.
Other injured people were taken to hospitals in Jinja and Kampala. Those admitted to Kawolo were Othieno Odong, Yunus Mubi Azalwa, Godfrey Dhirimusanga, Musa Kakooza, Balson Okello and Florence Nabakooza.
Eva Arinaitwe was taken to Mulago hospital.
Ends