NAKASONGOLA – Seven people died on Wednesday morning after a bus belonging to Roblyn Coaches rammed into a stationary truck at Namayonjo village in Nakasongola District.
Acceding to Traffic Directorate spokesperson Charles Ssebambulidde, the bus was heading to Kampala from Kitgum when it encountered a stationary truck that had developed a technical problem, leading to the accident at around 1am.
“It is believed that the bus driver was possibly speeding and there were no road signs to signal that the truck was parked. Both vehicles were facing the same direction,” Mr Ssebambulidde said in a telephone interview.
Mr Christopher Ssendijja, the Officer in Charge Nakasongola Police Station said 5 people died on the spot while two of the victims died as they were being rushed to hospital.
Mr Ssendijja has identified the deceased persons as Johnson Akena, Suzan Okello, Mathew Ochola, Stella Namono, Rose Atoo, Brian Birakwate and an unidentified mechanic believed to have been fixing a tyre on to the parked truck.
The identities of the injured include Wilfred Oyirot (50), Christine Komugisha (26), Solomon Obalimo (28), Moses Eliu (40), Lamech Okello (27) and Gift Tumusiime (26). They were rushed to Nakasongola Health Centre IV, Nakasongola Military Hospital and Bishop Asil Memorial Hospital in Luweero District.
There are rising accidents involving buses. Five people on August 27 died on spot following an accident involving a bus and a commuter taxi at Kyabadaaza on Masaka-Kampala highway.
According to witnesses, the incident happened after a bus belonging to Global Coaches LTD on it’s way to Mbarara collided head-on with a taxi from Masaka.
The bus, registration number UAZ 581U, was overtaking a truck on a climbing lane before, it rammed into the taxi, registration number UBA 969W.
Six people, who sustained serious injuries, were taken to Nkozi Hospital.
The incident came nine days after 10 people are died in a road accident involving a commuter taxi and a bus at Busembatia on Tirinyi-Mbale Road on August 18. The accident occured after the bus belonging to YY Coaches LTD, which was heading to Mbale had a head-on collision with a commuter taxi. All the 10 passengers in the taxi are reported to have died on spot.
Mr Eratu Ojukuna, the Namutumba District Police Commander, blamed the accident on the bus driver who was reportedly trying to overtake.
The accident came six days after a bus belonging to the same bus company overturned, killing two people on spot and leaving another 40 injured
The bus overturned on the Iganga-Bugiri highway last Monday evening.
The bus, registration number UAQ 906 T, belonging to Y.Y Coaches Ltd, was on its way from Kampala to Mbale when the accident happened at around 5pm. Some of the injured, who included university students, sustained broken limbs and were rushed to Iganga Hospital.
