Ntugamo Crash Toll Reaches 17

Aug 13, 2002

SEVENTEEN people died in an accident on Sunday involving a minibus and a fuel tanker at Nyamukana about 40km on Mbarara -Kabale highway.

By Allan Turyaguma SEVENTEEN people died in an accident on Sunday involving a minibus and a fuel tanker at Nyamukana about 40km on Mbarara -Kabale highway.Among the dead was a Makerere University student of technology, Frank Ajupu. Janet Ninsiima of Bujaga and her child Nassasira also died. Ninsiima died shortly after admission to Itojo Hospital.Gordon Akanajuka of Kaharo Kabale and David Turinawe, a teacher at Kayenje Primary School in Kabale district survived. They were admitted to Itojo Hospital.The Police said the accident occurred at about 6:00pm when the DR Congo-registered fuel tanker KV 5343D/KV 3500D heading for Mbarara, rammed onto the Ntungamo-bound minibus 838 UBD with 19 passengers on board.Ntungamo district Police chief Tom Aziku Zata attributed the accident to reckless driving.He said the truck was being driven on the wrong side of the road.“He was driving at high speed and from the point of the impact it is evident that he was keeping right instead of the left side of the road as it should be in Uganda,” Zata said.He said the driver and his ton-boy escaped.A Police officer, Andrew Kaweesi, who reached the scene shortly after the accident, said they had to cut through the wreckage of the minibus to pull out the dead and the injured.The other dead were Joseph Byarugaba of Itojo, Festo Mugyema of Ihunga in Ntungamo and Eriatu Ejupu of Entebbe but who worked in Rwanda.Moses Mutahunga of Kabale, Byekwaso of Kikyenkye in Ibanda, R.K. Bimanyire of Ruharo ward in Mbarara, and Boaz Bamwine, a student of Kyamate SS, also died.The driver of the ill-fated minibus, Bosco Kabuchere and the conductor, Mugaba, also died. The bodies of a man, a woman and a baby were not identified.This is the second road mishap in the West in less than a month. In July, a fuel tanker collided with a bus at Rutoto, Bunyaruguru in Bushenyi district, killing 70 people.Police chief Katumba Wamala has condemned reckless driving.Ends

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