One killed as car falls off ferry
A commuter taxi slid off a ferry and fell into Lake Victoria at the Bukakata landing site yesterday morning, killing a woman who was aboard.
By Anne Mugisa
and Ali Mambule
A commuter taxi slid off a ferry and fell into Lake Victoria at the Bukakata landing site yesterday morning, killing a woman who was aboard.
The accident took place just as the ferry was about to dock at the landing site in Masaka, according to Dan Alinange, the spokesperson of the Uganda National Roads Authority.
A light Canter truck hit the taxi pushing it off the ferry. The truck’s driver and turn-boy are on the run.
The turn-boy is said to have jumped into the Canter, which was on the same ferry and suddenly started it, in the process hitting the taxi in front and tipping it off the ferry. The vehicle plunged into the deep water just a few metres from the pier. The victim was identified as Madina Namuli, 52, from Busibulu Mbirizi in Masaka.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Namuli had been sick and insisted on staying inside the taxi as the ferry crossed. The other passengers had moved out.
The Masaka district Police commander, Moses Mwanga, who visited the scene of the accident, said the Canter belongs to the LC1 chairman of Kasegulo landing site in Mugoye sub-county. The owner of the submerged taxi had not been established by yesterday.
Mwanga said as soon as the ferry docked, the driver and the turn boy initially tried to flee with their vehicle but later abandoned it and ran away. “We are looking for them,†Mwanga said.
Alinange said the roads authority would send equipment to retrieve the taxi. The area is served by one ferry which plies the Kalangala-Bukakata route.
“It was very unfortunate. For some strange reason, the turn-boy decided he was not going to wait for the ferry to dock and started his vehicle, which pushed the one in front off,†Alinange said.
Over 30 motor vehicles and numerous motorcycles which were supposed to cross to Kalangala by ferry were stranded at the pier, which had been cordoned off yesterday.
Many passengers were also stranded. However, smaller boat operators made brisk business as they provided an alternative way of taking them to Kalangala.
and Ali Mambule
A commuter taxi slid off a ferry and fell into Lake Victoria at the Bukakata landing site yesterday morning, killing a woman who was aboard.
The accident took place just as the ferry was about to dock at the landing site in Masaka, according to Dan Alinange, the spokesperson of the Uganda National Roads Authority.
A light Canter truck hit the taxi pushing it off the ferry. The truck’s driver and turn-boy are on the run.
The turn-boy is said to have jumped into the Canter, which was on the same ferry and suddenly started it, in the process hitting the taxi in front and tipping it off the ferry. The vehicle plunged into the deep water just a few metres from the pier. The victim was identified as Madina Namuli, 52, from Busibulu Mbirizi in Masaka.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Namuli had been sick and insisted on staying inside the taxi as the ferry crossed. The other passengers had moved out.
The Masaka district Police commander, Moses Mwanga, who visited the scene of the accident, said the Canter belongs to the LC1 chairman of Kasegulo landing site in Mugoye sub-county. The owner of the submerged taxi had not been established by yesterday.
Mwanga said as soon as the ferry docked, the driver and the turn boy initially tried to flee with their vehicle but later abandoned it and ran away. “We are looking for them,†Mwanga said.
Alinange said the roads authority would send equipment to retrieve the taxi. The area is served by one ferry which plies the Kalangala-Bukakata route.
“It was very unfortunate. For some strange reason, the turn-boy decided he was not going to wait for the ferry to dock and started his vehicle, which pushed the one in front off,†Alinange said.
Over 30 motor vehicles and numerous motorcycles which were supposed to cross to Kalangala by ferry were stranded at the pier, which had been cordoned off yesterday.
Many passengers were also stranded. However, smaller boat operators made brisk business as they provided an alternative way of taking them to Kalangala.