50 injured in Jinja motor accident

By Donald Kiirya

ATLEAST fifty people were seriously injured in a motor accident in Jinja district on Wednesday.

The accident at occurred 9:00am when an Omni-bus carrying passengers from Gadumire Sub County in Kaliro district to Jinja failed to ascend a hill and overturned at Makota-Kagoma village in Buwenge rural Sub County in Jinja.

The vehicle registration number UAE 484Y reversed after the brakes failed, the driver jumped out and left it to overturn in a ditch alongside the Jinja-Kamuli Highway which is still under construction.

Injured passengers were rushed to Jinja regional referral hospital. They included males, females and children who sustained serious fractures and bruises on their legs, arms and heads.  There were no dead reported.

Hajira Nakatte, who sustained a fracture in the left shoulder born, said the vehicle was overloaded with five passengers on one row seat instead of the authorized four passengers. According to Nakatte, other passengers were standing. 

Jonathan Musinguzi, the Jinja DPC said they were still establishing the exact number of injured passengers who were on board.