Teacher dies, 30 pupils injured
Apr 10, 2011
A teacher died and over 30 pupils were injured in an accident on the Kigalama–Kalangaalo road on Friday night.
By Luke Kagiri
A teacher died and over 30 pupils were injured in an accident on the Kigalama–Kalangaalo road on Friday night.
The victims, pupils from various primary schools in Mityana South constituency, were travelling from Kalangaalo in Mityana North from athletics competitions.
The deceased was identified as David Kibuuka Kiwanuka, a teacher in Mityana Public Primary School in Mityana town.
The accident occurred at around 8:00pm at Namutidde hill, about 20km to Mityana town.
Some of the pupils, who survived the accident, said when they were mid-way the hill, they saw the driver jumping out of the vehicle and left it to reverse.
“Whenever we reached a hill, our teacher Kiwanuka would jump off and watch the vehicle going. He kept on cautioning the driver to be careful,†one of the pupils narrated.
“At this very spot, when he jumped off, the driver also got out, leaving the lorry reversing at a terrible speed. It knocked Kiwanuka down and he died instantly,†he added.
Most of the victims sustained broken limbs and had deep cuts.
Over 15 pupils were rushed to the theatre in Mityana Hospital.
Andrew Kiiza, one of the organisers of the event, said the pupils had travelled in a minibus, but it got mechanical problems, forcing them to use the lorry.
The accident came just a few weeks after a directive from the education ministry prohibited the transportation of students and pupils on lorries.
A teacher died and over 30 pupils were injured in an accident on the Kigalama–Kalangaalo road on Friday night.
The victims, pupils from various primary schools in Mityana South constituency, were travelling from Kalangaalo in Mityana North from athletics competitions.
The deceased was identified as David Kibuuka Kiwanuka, a teacher in Mityana Public Primary School in Mityana town.
The accident occurred at around 8:00pm at Namutidde hill, about 20km to Mityana town.
Some of the pupils, who survived the accident, said when they were mid-way the hill, they saw the driver jumping out of the vehicle and left it to reverse.
“Whenever we reached a hill, our teacher Kiwanuka would jump off and watch the vehicle going. He kept on cautioning the driver to be careful,†one of the pupils narrated.
“At this very spot, when he jumped off, the driver also got out, leaving the lorry reversing at a terrible speed. It knocked Kiwanuka down and he died instantly,†he added.
Most of the victims sustained broken limbs and had deep cuts.
Over 15 pupils were rushed to the theatre in Mityana Hospital.
Andrew Kiiza, one of the organisers of the event, said the pupils had travelled in a minibus, but it got mechanical problems, forcing them to use the lorry.
The accident came just a few weeks after a directive from the education ministry prohibited the transportation of students and pupils on lorries.