Rubirizi/Namutumba Accidents: 20 Confirmed Dead So far

By Kampala Post  Reporter

A total of 20 people have so far been confirmed dead and scores injured following Sunday’s two separate accidents in Rubirizi and Namutumba districts.

According to a statement issued by police spokesperson Fred Enanga on Monday morning ten bodies have so been recovered from the Rubirizi accident scene, while ten more people have been confirmed killed in the Namutumba accident. He explains that a joint team of police and updf have now cordoned off the fuel tanker accident scene in Rubirizi as search for more bodies continues.

“The joint security teams from the Police and UPDF have cordoned off the area. So far, 9 burnt bodies have been retrieved from the scene and transported to Lugazi Health Centre for further post mortem analysis and DNA profiling. Another body was still trapped beneath the tanker truck and could not be retrieved due to the cover of darkness,” Enanga explains.

The accident occurred at Kyambura Trading center, in Rubirizi District, when the driver of a tanker truck carrying fuel from Mbarara, lost control and the vehicle rammed into two commuter taxis and a saloon car. The vehicles burst into flames, killing people instantly and injuring several others. According to police, three smaller secondary explosions from the parked vehicles followed.

“The stream of liquid fire from the fuel also burnt about 25 small shops over a stretch of over 30 metres. The firefighting teams from Bushenyi and Kasese responded and prevented the fire from spreading further,” Enanga said.

Meanwhile in Namutumba District, a head-on collision between a YY bus registration number UAY 852F and a commuter taxi, under registration number UAV 689X occurred at around 6.40 pm, at Bukonte village, 5 kilometers from Namutumba and 25 kilometers from Iganga), on the Iganga-Namutumba Highway.

The Police preliminary facts indicate that the driver to the taxi dangerously overtook another commuter taxi that was also heading towards Namutumba from Iganga. The taxi crashed into the bus in the opposite lane, killing 9 passengers instantly, and injuring four others critically.

The accident also claimed the life of a cyclist, who succumbed to the injuries at a nearby clinic. Two other victims on a bodaboda motorcycle registration number UDS 126N were injured. “All the passengers in the bus had no injuries and efforts are already in place to track down the driver who is on the run, to help in our investigations,” Enanga said.