Ntungamo, (UG):- The Uganda Police has confirmed that six people including one of their own have died and three others currently nursing critical injuries following a fatal road crash after an Isuzu bus rammed into a passenger taxi along Ntungamo-Rukungiri Road on Wednesday morning.
The officer, identified as Brian Agereza attached to Nsangi Police Station in Wakiso District perished in the crash at Kakiika Trading Center, located about 21km from Ntungamo Town in western Uganda.
The Traffic Police Spokesperson, SP Michael Kananura in a statement on Wednesday afternoon said the fatal crash involved motor vehicles UBN 337H, a Toyota Hiace, and UAP 385U, an Isuzu bus belonging to Kasaaba Bus Company.
“According to the initial report, motor vehicle UBN 337H, which was coming from Rukungiri to Ntungamo, got a tyre puncture and parked on the right-hand side of the road, leaving part of the vehicle on the tarmac while attempting to fix the tyre, with full lights on,” Mr Kananura said.
He added; “Unfortunately, the bus, which was coming from Kampala and heading to Rukungiri, veered off the road and rammed into the parked omnibus, instantly killing six people, including the driver, the turn man, and a police officer attached to Nsangi Police Station.”
SP Kananura identified the other victims as Robert Arinaitwe (bus driver), Urban Kakye (owner of Toyota Hiace taxi), John Baptist Banturaki (turn man and a driver at St John Nursing school Rwashamaire), Herbert Kwikiriza (a watchman at Rwashamaire Public School) and one man whose particulars were not readily available.
He said the injured individuals who include; David Musinguzi, Jova Turinawe and Emmanuel Ngabirano were taken to Devine Health and Ntungamo Specialist Medical Centres for treatment while the bodies of the deceased were conveyed to Rwashameire Health Centre IV for autopsy.
“The bodies have been conveyed to Rwashameire Health Centre IV for post-mortem examination, while the motor vehicles have been towed to Ntungamo Central Police as inquiries commence,” stated Kananura.
According to Uganda Police Annual crime report of 2023, there was a 15.5 percent increase in common offences registered by the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety countrywide from 456,993 cases registered in 2022 to 528,025 cases in 2023.
Road Traffic crashes increased in 2023 as compared to 2022 with 23,608 cases reported to police, out of which 4,179 were fatal, 12,487 were serious and 6,942 were minor.
The number of fatal crashes increased by 30% to 4,179 in 2023 from 3,210 in 2022.
The number of serious crashes increased to 12,487 in 2023 from 8,860 in 2022. The number of minor crashes increased to 6,942 in 2023 from 4,577 in 2022.
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