Police have confirmed the death of 12 people in a motor accident that occurred this morning at about 2:42 am.

The accident that occurred at Alomain bridge in Amuria district involved business people who were traveling to Adipala weekly market in Kapelebyong district.

According to the police spokesman Oscar Ageca, the preliminary findings indicate that a Fuso motor vehicle MV registration number UBA 670V, overturned after the driver lost control.

“It's alleged that due to a bad patch of road in and around the swamp the driver lost control of the vehicle. Twelve persons died on spot, and six other persons have been rushed to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital with differing levels of injuries,” Ageca said in a statement.

This is the second accident in nearly three months involving Adipala weekly market business persons.

The deceased who are yet to be identified are believed to have come from different parts of Teso, Bugisu, Busoga, and Bukedi region.

Dr. Emmanuel Aisu, in charge of Amuria health center IV said that the 12 bodies were in the mortuary and three survivors were being attended to.

“The injured are being attended to while the bodies are lying in the mortuary as we await for the relatives to come and identify them,” Dr. Aisu said.

Police are appealing to those persons whose relatives carry on business as traders with a known record on that route to reach out about their wellbeing at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital where other survivors were taken. 

“We condole with the families of the bereaved who have lost these groups of entrepreneurial individuals. Inquiries into the accident shall continue,” Ageca said.

Ultimately, if our roads continue to become death traps, our weekly markets will collapse. 

The leadership of Kapelebyong district where the track was destined expressed shock over the demise of the traders that supplied them with goods.

“I  condole with the families for the loss of multiple people in a road accident that happened today in Amuria district. As many have noted, the main road between Soroti and Amuria is very bad and as a result, the traffic has been diverted to the recently worked on road along Alakaituk,” said the LC5 Kapelebyong Francis Akorikin. 

“For several years, we have asked UNRA to give this road the attention it deserves. This road links Amuria, Kapelebyong to Abim and yet it never gets the attention it deserves,” a grieving Akorikin said.