Four confirmed dead in Link Bus accident

By Rogers Sunday

KABAROLE – At least four people have been confirmed dead in a Link Bus accident that occurred along the Fort Portal-Kasese highway on Friday in Kabarole district.

The bus registered under number UAK 939G is reported to have lost control and overturned at Rubona village in Kisomoro sub-county.

It was bound for Bwerain Kasese district from Kampala.

The deceased have been identified as Kahambu Florence and Marie Rose Kampere, both 37 and Congolese nationals; Resty Nakijoba, a resident of Kasana in Mubende district and Twinomugisha Hilder, 28, who was a resident of Mubende army barracks.

Thirteen others, injured in the early morning road mishap, were rushed to Virika and Buhinga hospitals for medical attention.

Richard Olili, the Officer-in-Charge of traffic in Kabarole, said the driver of the bus – identified as Joseph Matovu – was over-speeding around a sharp bend.

“The driver struggled to gain momentum on the road for a length of 200 meters before the bus overturned,” the police officer said.

“We had to cut some parts of the bus to rescue the victims, including the driver,” he added.

Kule Martin, one of the survivors told New Vision at the scene that the driver lost control after the front tyre of the bus burst.

“Most of the passengers in the bus were asleep but when they heard a very loud sound [of the tyre burst] they all woke up shouting as the driver struggled to keep the vehicle on the road,” he recounted.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Fort Portal main mortuary for a postmortem.