14 killed in bus accidents
Jan 22, 2007
<i><b>68 injured, 6 foreigners among dead</b></i><br><br>Two separate road accidents yesterday killed 14 people, six of them foreign nationals, and injured 68 others.
68 injured, 6 foreigners among dead
By Frank Mugabi, Moses
Nampala and Janey Watongo
Two separate road accidents yesterday killed 14 people, six of them foreign nationals, and injured 68 others.
A Nile Coach bus overturned on the Pakwach-Nebbi road at 7:30am, killing two people instantly.
Six others died on the way to Arua Hospital.
Arua district Police commander, Julius Sabule, said 53 passengers were injured, many of them seriously. They were admitted to various hospitals in Angal, Pakwach, Nebbi and Arua.
He said the accident occurred when the bus driver tried to block another bus from overtaking him.
“The GaaGaa bus wanted to overtake but the Nile Coach driver refused to give way. In the process, he lost control and overturned several times,†Sabule said. Both buses were heading to Kampala from Arua.
Among the dead were two unidentified children and Alex Oling, a teacher at Anaka Secondary School in Masindi district.
Residents had to cut through the wreckage to remove one of the bodies trapped inside.
The Police said the driver, identified as Adam Aga, sustained minor injuries and was by
Yesterday under Police custody. In Arua Hospital, the medical workers were overwhelmed with the influx of casualties, forcing them to call for reinforcement from NGOs and clinics around Arua town.
The Police struggled to keep away crowds who wanted to cross check if any of their relatives had been injured.
Also yesterday morning, at around 8:00am, six foreigners died when their mini-bus collided head-on with a Tata lorry at Wandago, on the Jinja-Iganga highway.
Fifteen passengers survived with injuries and were admitted to Jinja Hospital. They were later transferred to Kampala International Hospital.
South-eastern regional Police commander, Christopher Kubai, said the victims were Jehovah Witnesses who were returning to Nairobi, Kenya after attending a three-day fellowship in Kampala. He named those killed as Sam Gilman and his wife Thelma from USA.
Others were Joachim Neuman and Tabitha Neuman of German nationality and their two drivers, Nicholas Mutiso and one Charles, both Kenyans. Kubai said the driver of the lorry travelling from Iganga to Jinja lost control while descending a cliff. He swerved from left to right and collided with the mini-bus. The right side of the mini-bus was smashed and rescuers used axes to retrieve the bodies.
State minister for transport, Simon Ejua, said speeding was the main cause of both accidents.
By Frank Mugabi, Moses
Nampala and Janey Watongo
Two separate road accidents yesterday killed 14 people, six of them foreign nationals, and injured 68 others.
A Nile Coach bus overturned on the Pakwach-Nebbi road at 7:30am, killing two people instantly.
Six others died on the way to Arua Hospital.
Arua district Police commander, Julius Sabule, said 53 passengers were injured, many of them seriously. They were admitted to various hospitals in Angal, Pakwach, Nebbi and Arua.
He said the accident occurred when the bus driver tried to block another bus from overtaking him.
“The GaaGaa bus wanted to overtake but the Nile Coach driver refused to give way. In the process, he lost control and overturned several times,†Sabule said. Both buses were heading to Kampala from Arua.
Among the dead were two unidentified children and Alex Oling, a teacher at Anaka Secondary School in Masindi district.
Residents had to cut through the wreckage to remove one of the bodies trapped inside.
The Police said the driver, identified as Adam Aga, sustained minor injuries and was by
Yesterday under Police custody. In Arua Hospital, the medical workers were overwhelmed with the influx of casualties, forcing them to call for reinforcement from NGOs and clinics around Arua town.
The Police struggled to keep away crowds who wanted to cross check if any of their relatives had been injured.
Also yesterday morning, at around 8:00am, six foreigners died when their mini-bus collided head-on with a Tata lorry at Wandago, on the Jinja-Iganga highway.
Fifteen passengers survived with injuries and were admitted to Jinja Hospital. They were later transferred to Kampala International Hospital.
South-eastern regional Police commander, Christopher Kubai, said the victims were Jehovah Witnesses who were returning to Nairobi, Kenya after attending a three-day fellowship in Kampala. He named those killed as Sam Gilman and his wife Thelma from USA.
Others were Joachim Neuman and Tabitha Neuman of German nationality and their two drivers, Nicholas Mutiso and one Charles, both Kenyans. Kubai said the driver of the lorry travelling from Iganga to Jinja lost control while descending a cliff. He swerved from left to right and collided with the mini-bus. The right side of the mini-bus was smashed and rescuers used axes to retrieve the bodies.
State minister for transport, Simon Ejua, said speeding was the main cause of both accidents.