News
14 killed in head-on crash at Lwera on Kampala–Masaka highway
The accident involved a Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UA 662AQ, carrying 16 passengers, and a Sino truck, registration number UBS 040F, which was transporting sand.
(Courtesy photo/Uganda Police)
By: Simon Masaba, Journalist @New Vision
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Fourteen people have been killed in a devastating road crash at Lwera swamp along the Kampala–Masaka highway after a passenger taxi collided head-on with a sand-laden truck.
The crash occurred at about 11:40 pm on August 3, 2026, at Kamunga trading centre in Kalungu district, according to police.
Masaka East and West Regional Police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye said the accident involved a Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UA 662AQ, carrying 16 passengers, and a Sino truck, registration number UBS 040F, which was transporting sand.
(Courtesy photo/Uganda Police)
(Courtesy photo/Uganda Police)
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of the Sino truck, who is currently on the run, attempted to dodge road humps and crossed into the lane of the oncoming taxi, resulting in a head-on collision,” Kasirye said.
He said 14 occupants of the taxi died instantly in the crash.
Police said four people survived with injuries, including two passengers from the taxi and two occupants of the truck. The injured were rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations as authorities work to establish their identities and notify their next of kin.
Kasirye said a team comprising regional traffic officers, the Fire and Rescue Services and the Kalungu district police commander visited and documented the scene before the wreckage was removed to restore traffic flow.
Police have launched a manhunt for the truck driver, who fled immediately after the crash.
Kasirye extended condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to all motorists to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and avoid dangerous manoeuvres that put other road users at risk.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations as authorities work to establish their identities and notify their next of kin.
Kasirye said a team comprising regional traffic officers, the Fire and Rescue Services and the Kalungu district police commander visited and documented the scene before the wreckage was removed to restore traffic flow.
Police have launched a manhunt for the truck driver, who fled immediately after the crash.
Kasirye extended condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to all motorists to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and avoid dangerous manoeuvres that put other road users at risk.