Nineteen die in weekend motor accidents
Jan 24, 2010
NINETEEN people died over the weekend in separate road accidents involving lorries ferrying traders in Kamuli and Soroti districts. The Police said another four passengers died when a Mbarara-bound bus from Kisoro crashed with 62 people at Kinoni on Saturday.
by Vision reporters
NINETEEN people died over the weekend in separate road accidents involving lorries ferrying traders in Kamuli and Soroti districts. The Police said another four passengers died when a Mbarara-bound bus from Kisoro crashed with 62 people at Kinoni on Saturday.
In Kamuli, a lorry carrying traders from Kidera trading centre to Kamuli town overturned on Saturday night at Nawantale village, killing 10 people on the spot.
Another two died on the way to Jinja referral hospital, where many of the injured are admitted, some in critical condition.
Earlier on Friday night, three businessmen died instantly and five others sustained severe injuries when an Isuzu truck they were travelling in overturned in Soroti.
A survivor in the Kamuli incident told The New Vision that the truck, over-loaded with traders and their goods, had a tyre burst before overturning several times.
“There was a loud bang, then the lorry rolled over amid deafening cries for help. Some of the injured and the dead were pulled from underneath bales of second-hand clothes and sacks of charcoal,†the witness narrated.
According to him, even though the truck had 96 persons on board, the driver kept stopping along the way to pick up more passengers.
“It was dark and the dim headlamps could not reach far but the speed at which the lorry was travelling was beyond recommended limits,†he said.
Christopher Kubai, the eastern region Police chief, confirmed that 15 people had perished in both accidents.
He identified those dead in the Kamuli accident as Benard Lyagoba, John Maido, Aminsi Kasozi, Salaamu Muhammed, Moses Buyinza and Hellen Namwase.
Others were Charles Kakaire, Hassan Matege of Kasozi trading centre in Kamuli district, Faisal Matovu of Kyenjojo, Robert Sseruzi of Kidera, Waikova, a tobacco seller and a woman only identified as Mariam, an airtime dealer.
“I have learnt that the accident was due to a tyre burst as the lorry brought back traders from a weekly market. Some of the injured are in Jinja hospital,†Kubai said.
Most vehicles plying rural routes in Kamuli are in dangerous mechanical condition but take advantage of the absence of traffic Police officers along the remote roads to overload.
In Soroti, Juma Nyene, the mid-eastern Police spokesman, said the accident occurred when a truck carrying traders from Ocorimogin in Katakwi district overturned at Awoja bridge.
Nyene identified the dead as Rashid Abdullah, 35, a resident of Namakwekwe in Mbale district and Stephen Nabaya, 30, of Sironko district. The third corpse had a disfigured face, which hampered the identification process.
“We appeal to members of the public to come and assist in identifying the third dead person,†Nyene appealed.
He identified some of those admitted in critical condition in Soroti hospital as Madina Balesa of Namutumba, Moses Nampanu of Jinja, Yusuf Omoding of Nakaloke in Mbale, Sula Maluta and Safiri Wadada of Mbale.
According to Nyene, the lorry driver had tried to overtake a trailer but lost control and hit the bridge, forcing the truck to overturn.
He said the Police was hunting for the driver who took off after the accident.
In Mbarara district, four people died and over 40 were seriously injured in a bus accident along Kabale road on Friday.
Shortly after midnight, a bus belonging to Muhabura bus services with 62 passengers from Kisoro heading to Kampala overturned and rolled several times at Kinoni at a place commonly known as Mahembe-gente.
Three people died on the spot. Another body was identified in the morning on Saturday. Three were those of adults and the other body was of a child.
The Mbarara head of traffic, Peter Kagina, said over-speeding could have been the cause of the accident. He warned night drivers to be extra careful.
The driver of the bus, who is on run, was only identified as Walugembe. Kagina appealed to him to hand himself in.
Kagina identified the deceased as Dan Katwesigye, who is believed to be working with New Uganda Securiko Ltd and James Gato. An unidentified woman and her child also died in the crash.
Over 20 injured passengers were steadily improving at Mbarara Hospital, according to the hospital executive director, Dr. Pracid Mehayo.
Reporting by George Bita, Tom Gwebayanga, Salume Among
and Abdulkarim Ssengendo
NINETEEN people died over the weekend in separate road accidents involving lorries ferrying traders in Kamuli and Soroti districts. The Police said another four passengers died when a Mbarara-bound bus from Kisoro crashed with 62 people at Kinoni on Saturday.
In Kamuli, a lorry carrying traders from Kidera trading centre to Kamuli town overturned on Saturday night at Nawantale village, killing 10 people on the spot.
Another two died on the way to Jinja referral hospital, where many of the injured are admitted, some in critical condition.
Earlier on Friday night, three businessmen died instantly and five others sustained severe injuries when an Isuzu truck they were travelling in overturned in Soroti.
A survivor in the Kamuli incident told The New Vision that the truck, over-loaded with traders and their goods, had a tyre burst before overturning several times.
“There was a loud bang, then the lorry rolled over amid deafening cries for help. Some of the injured and the dead were pulled from underneath bales of second-hand clothes and sacks of charcoal,†the witness narrated.
According to him, even though the truck had 96 persons on board, the driver kept stopping along the way to pick up more passengers.
“It was dark and the dim headlamps could not reach far but the speed at which the lorry was travelling was beyond recommended limits,†he said.
Christopher Kubai, the eastern region Police chief, confirmed that 15 people had perished in both accidents.
He identified those dead in the Kamuli accident as Benard Lyagoba, John Maido, Aminsi Kasozi, Salaamu Muhammed, Moses Buyinza and Hellen Namwase.
Others were Charles Kakaire, Hassan Matege of Kasozi trading centre in Kamuli district, Faisal Matovu of Kyenjojo, Robert Sseruzi of Kidera, Waikova, a tobacco seller and a woman only identified as Mariam, an airtime dealer.
“I have learnt that the accident was due to a tyre burst as the lorry brought back traders from a weekly market. Some of the injured are in Jinja hospital,†Kubai said.
Most vehicles plying rural routes in Kamuli are in dangerous mechanical condition but take advantage of the absence of traffic Police officers along the remote roads to overload.
In Soroti, Juma Nyene, the mid-eastern Police spokesman, said the accident occurred when a truck carrying traders from Ocorimogin in Katakwi district overturned at Awoja bridge.
Nyene identified the dead as Rashid Abdullah, 35, a resident of Namakwekwe in Mbale district and Stephen Nabaya, 30, of Sironko district. The third corpse had a disfigured face, which hampered the identification process.
“We appeal to members of the public to come and assist in identifying the third dead person,†Nyene appealed.
He identified some of those admitted in critical condition in Soroti hospital as Madina Balesa of Namutumba, Moses Nampanu of Jinja, Yusuf Omoding of Nakaloke in Mbale, Sula Maluta and Safiri Wadada of Mbale.
According to Nyene, the lorry driver had tried to overtake a trailer but lost control and hit the bridge, forcing the truck to overturn.
He said the Police was hunting for the driver who took off after the accident.
In Mbarara district, four people died and over 40 were seriously injured in a bus accident along Kabale road on Friday.
Shortly after midnight, a bus belonging to Muhabura bus services with 62 passengers from Kisoro heading to Kampala overturned and rolled several times at Kinoni at a place commonly known as Mahembe-gente.
Three people died on the spot. Another body was identified in the morning on Saturday. Three were those of adults and the other body was of a child.
The Mbarara head of traffic, Peter Kagina, said over-speeding could have been the cause of the accident. He warned night drivers to be extra careful.
The driver of the bus, who is on run, was only identified as Walugembe. Kagina appealed to him to hand himself in.
Kagina identified the deceased as Dan Katwesigye, who is believed to be working with New Uganda Securiko Ltd and James Gato. An unidentified woman and her child also died in the crash.
Over 20 injured passengers were steadily improving at Mbarara Hospital, according to the hospital executive director, Dr. Pracid Mehayo.
Reporting by George Bita, Tom Gwebayanga, Salume Among
and Abdulkarim Ssengendo