Eight students die in Lwengo accident

By Ali Mambule

Eight students of Sseke SS Kinoni in Lwengo district were confirmed dead and over 40 others escaped with severe injuries following an accident that took place at Kyangwe village about a kilometer away from their school.

Salim Nsubuga a teacher at the school identified the deceased as Isma Semugenze (S6), Mulindwa Muswab (S3), Nabawesi Raiba (S3), Dan Kwagalakwe (S2), Jessica Nabakiibi (S2), Naluyima Stella (S2), Mukunyu and another whose particulars he did not have.

“The school had hired a coaster which took the school team and a few other students to St. Joseph Mary’s SS Mbiriizi for a football match but the other students made a private arrangement to go and watch the match without notifying the administration,” Nsubuga told New Vision.

He said that after classes on Thursday, the students jumped onto the FUSO truck number UAQ 603L which took them to the venue of the match.

One of the survivors Fulgensio Sewannyana however said that as the match which Sseke SS lost went on, other students joined them and at the end of the match they all jumped on to the truck.

“The driver could not identify who had moved with us before and he decided to take all of us back to school,” Sewannyana explained.

He said that on the way, the driver only identified as Mubaraka learnt that the traffic police were on the way and he opted to take a short cut to dodge them.

“Since it had rained, the road that we took was very slippery yet the vehicle was over loaded and when he tried to negotiate one of the corners, the truck fell on the driver’s side,” he added.

Zulfa Kayondo another S4 student said that the students who died were all standing on the side of the driver. All students who were aboard were shouting on top of their voices.

According to the school’s parents and teachers’ association chairperson Muhammad Lukyamuzi, six of the students died on the spot while the other two died at masaka and Kitovu hospitals where they had been rushed for treatment.

“We were all terrified and we thought that the number would grow big but thank God even those who were in critical condition are now improving,” Lukyamuzi told New Vision.

Southern Regional traffic police officer Ogwal Khasule blamed the accident on the driver who had over loaded the students and wondered why he decided to take a rout which he knew that was slippery.

“He is still on the run but we shall arrest him and deal with him accordingly,” Khasule said.

He warned teachers against transporting pupils and students on lorries saying that this was out rightly against the law.