Five dead, several injured in Kiryandongo bus crash

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Five people died instantly, and 15 others were critically injured in a three-vehicle crash at Siriba village, Bweyale Town Council in Kiryandongo District, along the Kampala-Gulu highway. 

The fatal incident that involved two passenger buses and a truck occurred on Tuesday, March 10th, around 1:00 AM.

SP Stephen Ojok, the district Police Commander in Kiryandongo, attributes the multiple crash to a stationary Sinotruck registration No. UBF 576B, which had developed a mechanical issue.

"As the driver of Mega Express coach registration No. 350T, from Gulu, approached the scene, its driver, mistaking the truck for being in motion, failed to reduce speed, ramming into it (truck) from behind, pushing it into a ditch. While this was unfolding, a speeding Nile coach registration No. UA657CM from Kampala narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the Mega Express Coach, only brushing it before veering off-road and overturning. Whereas the Nile coach wasn't as severely impacted as the Mega coach, which rammed into the Sinotruck and instantly claimed five lives, including a three-month-old baby. The injured are receiving treatment at Kiryandongo General Hospital," SP Stephen Ojok narrated.

While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, SP Ojok did not rule out overspeeding and poor visibility due to the nighttime conditions. 

He emphasised that investigators are on the ground to determine the exact cause of the crash.

He also issued a warning to drivers, urging them to avoid driving while fatigued and to refrain from overspeeding at night.

"Few crashes in this area are caused by vehicle conditions. Most are due to overspeeding, reckless driving, and driving while fatigued," he stated.

This incident follows a tragic accident in October of last year on the same road in Kataleba village, Kiryandongo sub-county, near Ashili’s farm. 

The accident, involving four vehicles, an Isuzu bus (UBF 614X) belonging to Nile Star Coach, a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB), and a Planet Company sugarcane truck (UAM 045V)—resulted in 46 fatalities and 64 injuries. 

Michael Kananura, the spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, explained that a head-on collision occurred between two buses attempting to overtake simultaneously, leading to a chain reaction and multiple vehicles losing control and overturning.