2 dead, 45 injured in Mbale bus accident

Two people died while 45 others were rushed to Iganga Hospital in critical condition when the bus they were travelling in lost control and overturned at Busei B village, three kilometres along the Iganga-Bugiri highway.

The accident happened at around 5.10 pm on Monday when the bus registration number UAQ 906 T which was heading to Mbale from Kampala lost control and overturned several times.

The injured were rushed to Iganga Hospital intensive care unit with multiple injuries on their heads, hands while others sustained broken hands and legs.

Some of the injured have been identified as Victoria Nalubega the principal Shalom school of nursing Mbale, Abdala Rajab, Gya Sadam, Kato Semu, Denis Joruva, MJ. South Korea, Michale Oryokot, Bryan Batenganya and Peter Wandera, all residents of Mbale municipality.

One of the dead was   identified as Sakiya Wanda, a resident of Wanale

division in Mbale municipality while another woman was not unidentified.

According to an eyewitness the driver of the Y.Y coach who was moving at a high speed lost control as he attempted to avoid a boda boda cyclist moving to the same direction during a heavy rain downpour, before losing control.

One of the survivors, Victoria Nalubega, said she was sleeping by the time the accident happened was shocked when she suddenly heard other passengers yelling at the top of their voices .

"I later discovered that there was trouble when I heard my head bang on the metals in the bus," she said.

Nalubega said people who rushed to the scene searched the handbags and pockets of the survivors and the dead instead of offering help.

The spot where the accident occurred has a sharp bend that has of recent become a black spot for most road accidents.

The wreckage of the bus was towed to Iganga central police station while one of the deceased was handed over to relatives for burial.

Medical workers in the intensive care unit got a hard time as they kept on moving up and down trying to attend to the injured people while others blocked members of the public who wanted to forcefully access the room.

The officer in charge traffic Iganga central police station, Rogers Nadenge attributed the accident to speeding and recklessness on the part of the driver of the bus.

Nandenge cautioned drivers against driving beyond the recommended speed limit avoid similar incidents.