By Robert Segawa
In the early hours of Monday morning, a tragic road accident on the Masaka-Mbarara highway has claimed six lives and left 37 others injured. The incident occurred at Kirumba in Kyazanga, involving a Fuso truck and a Gateway bus.
The accident happened when a Fuso truck, with registration number UBM 673K, traveling from Kampala towards Mbarara, collided with an Isuzu bus, UBQ 621Z, operated by Gateway bus company. The bus was heading from Mbarara when it attempted to overtake other vehicles, resulting in a fatal crash with the oncoming truck.
Michael Kananura, spokesperson for the Traffic and Road Safety Directorate, confirmed that the driver of the Gateway bus was overtaking vehicles unsafely at the time of the collision. The crash resulted in the immediate deaths of six people, including the bus driver. The 37 injured individuals, including the driver of the Fuso truck, were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
“The cause of the accident has been identified as irresponsible overtaking by the bus driver,” Kananura said. “The bodies of the deceased have been transported to Kyazanga Hospital, while the injured are receiving medical care at local health centers.”
The two vehicles involved in the accident have been towed to Kyazanga Police Station for inspection by the Investigations and Operations Vehicle (IOV) team.
In related news, the Traffic and Road Safety Directorate reported that 76 people died in road accidents across the country last week, with 355 individuals sustaining injuries. The Directorate highlighted that improper overtaking and speeding are significant contributors to these road fatalities.
Authorities are urging drivers to adhere to road safety regulations to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
