Tragic Uganda Highway Crash Claims 46 Lives in Bus Collision

Kampala, Oct 22 — A tragic accident on a western Uganda highway early Wednesday has claimed the lives of at least 46 individuals, according to police sources. The crash, which involved two buses and two other vehicles, ranks among the most severe motor accidents in the East African nation in recent years.

Initially, police reported a death toll of 63, but this was later revised to 46 after it was determined that some individuals found unconscious at the scene were alive. The updated statement explained, "At the time of the crash, several victims were found unconscious, and some may have been mistakenly included in the initial fatality count."

The accident occurred shortly after midnight local time on the highway to Gulu, a major city in northern Uganda. Police reports suggest the calamity arose when two bus drivers, traveling in opposite directions, attempted to overtake other vehicles and collided head-on near the town of Kiryandongo.

Fatal road accidents are frequent in Uganda and other East African countries, where narrow roads often contribute to such tragedies. Police regularly attribute these incidents to speeding drivers. In a separate incident in August, a bus carrying mourners from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and fell into a ditch, resulting in 25 fatalities and several injuries.

Red Cross spokeswoman Irene Nakasiita highlighted the gravity of the recent crash in Uganda as exceptionally high, describing victims with severe bleeding and broken limbs. “The magnitude of this incident is so big,” Nakasiita said.

At nighttime, accident victims are less likely to receive aid from passersby and first responders, Nakasiita noted, "At night even bystanders are not there." Most of those injured in this incident are being treated at a nearby government hospital.

Official police statistics reveal a concerning increase in road fatalities in Uganda over recent years. A total of 5,144 people died from road accidents in 2024, up from 4,806 in 2023 and 4,534 in 2022. Careless overtaking and speeding were noted as causes for 44.5% of crashes in 2024, as per the police's latest crime report.

“As investigations continue, we strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking, which remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country,” the police emphasized in their follow-up statement.

Joseph Beyanga, a road safety advocate, criticized the lack of enforcement of traffic regulations, particularly for heavy vehicles traveling at night. He remarked that the Kiryandongo crash underscores the need for further efforts in road safety improvements. "These crashes are just a cruel reminder that we still have a long way to go," he said. "On the government side, there is total absence of enforcement. What's happening on the roads is anarchy."

Beyanga, who campaigns under the alias Joe Walker, is known for organizing walks from Kampala into rural Uganda, drawing hundreds in support of road safety. His next event in November will be a memorial walk over 60 km to honor those killed or injured in road crashes.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)