Four dead, 10 injured in Iganga accident

Mar 20, 2018

According to an eyewitness Fred Kintu, the driver of the Tata lorry that was moving without headlights rammed into the oncoming taxi as he attempted to overtake a trailer during a heavy rain.

TRANSPORT|ACCIDENTS

Four people died instantly while 10 others sustained serious injuries when a taxi they were travelling in collided with a Tata lorry at Igenge village, five kilometers along the Iganga - Jinja highway.


The incident happened at around 5.30 am on Tuesday when a Tata lorry registration number UAA 124Q that was heading towards Jinja loaded with sugar cane collided with a taxi registration number UBA 343B heading towards Iganga town from Kampala.

According to an eyewitness Fred Kintu, the driver of the Tata lorry that was moving without headlights rammed into the oncoming taxi as he attempted to overtake a trailer during a heavy rain.

Kintu said the driver of the lorry attempted to escape from scene of the accident but was intercepted by locals who rushed to the scene after hearing the loud bang as a result of the accident.

The deceased have been identified as Joseph Abra, Mohamed Magumba the driver of the taxi, Joan Nafuna and one Masinde, all traders operating in  Iganga municipality.

The injured currently admitted at Iganga main hospital sustained fractured legs, hands while others had their eyes removed as a result of the accident.
 
Some of the injured have been identified as Henry Gonza, Rajab Musasizi, Jamilu Mafuna, Ahlalirira Fatina, Nabongho Wandera and Winnie Nabanga.

According Musasizi, they boarded the taxi from the old taxi park in Kampala at around 2:00 am to be able to arrive in time for the day's business.

"However we were shocked to see that the accident happened a few kilometers away from where we were going," he said.

The taxi was travelling from Kampala to Iganga town just five kilometers away from where the accident happened.

The police spokesman Busoga east, James Mubi said investigations are still underway to establish the exact cause of the accident.

"We are trying to find out whether it was the driver of the lorry that was moving along the main highway without headlamps or the driver of the taxi," he said

Mubi urged motorists to always drive within the recommended speed limit to avoid similar incidents.

By press time, the bodies of the deceased were still lying at Iganga hospital mortuary while the wreckages of the two vehicles had been towed to Iganga central police station.

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