Four killed in BOU bullion van crash

By John Masaba

WOBULENZI - Four people died on spot Wednesday when a bank of Uganda bullion van convoy transporting money from Kampala was involved in an accident at Wobulenzi on the Kampala-Gulu highway.

The accident occurred  at about 2:30 pm when a tipper truck registration number UAF 356N loaded with bricks on its way to Kampala rammed into a bullion van convoy heading the opposite direction.

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Wreckage of the bullion van involved in the accident. PHOTO/Culton Nakamya

All the dead were occupants of the tipper truck which was damaged beyond recognition.

Three staff of the Central Bank were also seriously injured and were rushed to Kiwoko hospital from where they were later picked and transferred to Nakasero hospital in Kampala.

Luwero DPC Geoffrey Ninsiima said all four had not been yet identified and were still lying in Kiwoko hospital mortuary by press time.

“We are waiting for their relatives to come and identify them,” he said. Ninsiima attributed the accident to reckless driving on the part of the driver of the tipper truck.

There was a brief scuffle when hordes of people started pouring on the accident scene to have their share of the loot from the damaged bank of Uganda van.

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Police attributed the accident to reckless driving. PHOTO/Culton Nakamya

This forced military police escorting the convoy to call in antiriot Police from Luwero Police station who managed to keep the looters at bay until a rescue van were called in from Kampala.

The Director of Communications Bank of Uganda Christine Alupo clarified that the truck was well secured by their security escort team, and there was no attempt by the locals to vandalise it.

“When we heard of the accident we undertook reinforcement arrangements from Kampala, and took another van to transport the contents to its destination.

"The transfer of the contents was done without incident,” she said, adding there were only two Bank of Uganda staff injured, since the third occupant escaped unhurt.