5 killed in Iganga accident
Mar 31, 2006
FIVE people died on the spot while seven others escaped with serious injuries after a semi-trailer Benz veered off the road and rammed into a stationary omnibus.
By George Bita
FIVE people died on the spot while seven others escaped with serious injuries after a semi-trailer Benz veered off the road and rammed into a stationary omnibus.
The 5:45pm accident occurred at Namasoga village, Iganga district on the Jinja-Iganga highway on Thursday.
An eyewitness said the driver of the trailer UAD 548L swerved suddenly to avoid knocking a man who was talking on a mobile phone while crossing the road.
“The trailer first moved to the right side of the road then tried to go back to his side but the back container hit the taxi UAF 778Q.
The driver had parked on the roadside to allow passengers ease themselves in the bush,†the witness said.
The witness added, “The trailer hit the omnibus and threw it off the road. The passengers who had got out were not hurt.â€
Clement Lebbo, the Iganga district police traffic chief, said yesterday that all the deceased had not been identified.
“We have established that the driver, conductor and three passengers died instantly.
However, their bodies had no identification papers,†Lebbo said.
He said the driver’s head and both hands of the conductor were missing from their bodies now lying in Iganga hospital mortuary.
“Policemen are combing the site for the body parts,†Lebbo said.
Lebbo said among the dead was a pregnant mother who also had a three-year-old baby.
“The baby was rushed to Iganga hospital in critical condition but it died several hours later,†Lebbo said.
He identified those seriously injured and admitted to Iganga hospital as Issa Byatunga, 50, of Kajebe village in Mubende, Furukyaka Wafula, 56, a Kenyan from Lugali district and Ernest Leki, 68, of Busia district.
Others are J. Adyeki, 30 of Busia, Abdullah Lubega, 3 and Aisha Nabatanzi, 35 of Ndeeba, Kampala and Matilda Wambani, 45, of Busia.
FIVE people died on the spot while seven others escaped with serious injuries after a semi-trailer Benz veered off the road and rammed into a stationary omnibus.
The 5:45pm accident occurred at Namasoga village, Iganga district on the Jinja-Iganga highway on Thursday.
An eyewitness said the driver of the trailer UAD 548L swerved suddenly to avoid knocking a man who was talking on a mobile phone while crossing the road.
“The trailer first moved to the right side of the road then tried to go back to his side but the back container hit the taxi UAF 778Q.
The driver had parked on the roadside to allow passengers ease themselves in the bush,†the witness said.
The witness added, “The trailer hit the omnibus and threw it off the road. The passengers who had got out were not hurt.â€
Clement Lebbo, the Iganga district police traffic chief, said yesterday that all the deceased had not been identified.
“We have established that the driver, conductor and three passengers died instantly.
However, their bodies had no identification papers,†Lebbo said.
He said the driver’s head and both hands of the conductor were missing from their bodies now lying in Iganga hospital mortuary.
“Policemen are combing the site for the body parts,†Lebbo said.
Lebbo said among the dead was a pregnant mother who also had a three-year-old baby.
“The baby was rushed to Iganga hospital in critical condition but it died several hours later,†Lebbo said.
He identified those seriously injured and admitted to Iganga hospital as Issa Byatunga, 50, of Kajebe village in Mubende, Furukyaka Wafula, 56, a Kenyan from Lugali district and Ernest Leki, 68, of Busia district.
Others are J. Adyeki, 30 of Busia, Abdullah Lubega, 3 and Aisha Nabatanzi, 35 of Ndeeba, Kampala and Matilda Wambani, 45, of Busia.