By Moses Nampala in Jinja
SEVEN people including a two-year-old female infant died on Saturday in a horrific road accident at Bugembe on the Jinja-Iganga highway.

The driver and four passengers died instantly when a school-van (coaster) for Muljibhai Madhvan college rammed into a stationary Fuso truck. The infant died in Jinja main hospital. one other passenger, Edirisa Gabalo, died later.

The victims, who were mainly residents of Wairaka and Wanyange, where the school van was destined, had sought a lift from the driver from Jinja town.

Jinja district Police commander Anthony Emoding said the two-year-old child, Shamim Nabukwasi died at Jinja main hospital. But the baby’s mother Babirye Namwanje survived with injuries.

Those who died on the spot were identified as Grace Mpandi (driver of school van), Miria Naudo, George Kisambira, Sarah Basirika and Ayisha Namwase.

Five others narrowly survived but were in critical condition. They were admitted in ward 9 Jinja main hospital.

Emoding attributed the accident to the recklessness of the driver. “It’s very unfortunate that people have lost their lives due to recklessness of the driver. The truck almost broken down in the middle of the road and he did not bother to put up any signal warning other motorists,” Emoding said.

The heavy Fuso truck from Jinja town side, carrying angle bars had broke down in the morning as it negotiated a U-turn to the right hand side lane of the dual carriage way.
Eyewitness said a section of angle bars that propped through the rear of the truck, hung dangerously on the left-hand side lane.

Witnesses said the 8:00pm accident occurred, when the cruising school van from Jinja, heading towards Iganga, rammed into the section of the iron bars on the Fuso lorry.

On impact, the iron bars ripped open the right-hand side of the school van which lost control, veered from the left to the right hand side lane of the highway before plunging into a swamp by the roadside.

This morning the Minister of Works, Housing and Communication, John Nasasira, is scheduled to launch a one-week national road safety campaign intended to reduce the high death toll on the roads.
Ends