IGANGA – Seven people have been confirmed dead and ten others seriously injured following a road accident involving a taxi and a coaster vehicle at Namasoga village, on Iganga to Jinja highway.
The accident happened Wednesday at around 10.30 p.m when the taxi registration number UAV 157 E that was heading to Jinja from Iganga came onto a head-on collision with the coaster registration number UAT 805 F that was coming from the direction of Jinja to Iganga.
An eyewitness Farouk Kiiza a boda-boda cyclist at the Namasoga stage accounts that the driver of the taxi rammed onto the coaster vehicle as he tried to overtake a tractor that was heading towards Jinja.
Bodies of the deceased passengers were thrown onto the tarmac after the entire rooftop of the taxi was blown off after the head-on collision.
Meanwhile, Police have identified the deceased as Akamada Maganda, Musa Kange, Falidi Matende, John Baliruno, Badru Isabirye, driver of the taxi and Abdallah Bogere the driver of the coaster.
The authority has also issued names of those who sustained serious injuries: Gerald Lugolole, Joel Mutukula, Kulusumu Issa, Asha Naigaga, Saleh Kaziba, Francis Mayende, Kanani Yona, Mukanza Mudasiru and are currently admitted at Iganga and Jinja hospitals in critical condition.
Rogers Ndenge, the officer in charge traffic attributed the accident to over speeding, recklessness of the taxi driver.
He also cautioned drivers to avoid over speeding especially during the festive season.
At the same place, Yasin Nyombi aged24 narrowly survived being lynched after he was caught red-handed stealing money from a dead passenger after the accident.
Angry locals pounced him up; others used sticks and bricks after he was caught picking money from the dead passenger immediately after the accident had occurred.
