16 Perish In Iganga Accident

Jun 19, 2003

SIXTEEN people recently died on the spot when an omnibus they were travelling in overturned several times before plunging into a swamp at Namasoga on the Jinja-Iganga highway.

By George Bita
SIXTEEN people recently died on the spot when an omnibus they were travelling in overturned several times before plunging into a swamp at Namasoga on the Jinja-Iganga highway.
Two survivors were rushed to Iganga Hospital in critical condition after the 2:00pm tragedy that occurred when the vehicle number 435 UDD had a rear tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control.
Eye witnesses said they heard an explosion and saw a baby being ejected out of the vehicle before the bus finally rested upside down in the swamp waters.
“We rushed to the scene but we could only help the baby as we watched helplessly as the other victims drowned,” a witness said.
The Police identified the dead who had been taken to Iganga Hospital mortuary as J. Walubonge, a Police officer, David Musobya, an office attendant in the justice ministry, Rev. Fredrick Lubega Kaama, Alex Okello of Kisugu and Were Amin of Tororo.
Others are Ndagire Hassan of Kireka, Peter Ouma of Laula parish, David Sebitosi of Kampala, Muhammed Lipya of Tororo, Joseph Walubonga of Nakawa and a seven-year-old unidentified boy.
Andrew Ejoyat, the Iganga district officer in charge of traffic, said the taxi was over-speeding.
“The speed was so high that the driver could not avoid rolling into the swamp, leading to drowning of most passengers,” he said.
He said an unidentified woman and a one-year-old baby hurled out of the ill-fated omnibus were the only survivors.
Medical personnel at the hospital later said the woman was still in a critical state but the baby’s life was out of danger. Ends

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