Nwoya, (Ug):- The Territorial Police in Nwoya District have confirmed the death of Yahaya Hassan, 45, a Marine Engineer attached to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) branch in Pakwach who drowned in the flooding waters during a rescue mission on Wednesday.
The devastating incident, according to police authorities, occurred when heavy early morning rains caused the Tangi River, a tributary of the River Nile, to overflow, submerging the Pakwach-Nwoya road around 11:00 AM.
Eyewitness accounts describe a harrowing scene involving a driver who recklessly attempted to navigate the flooded waters.
“Okello Mohamed, a driver for Elite Transporters Company LTD, was travelling from Arua towards Lira with 12 passengers in a Drone Taxi (Registration No. UBH 418W) when he decided to cross the rapidly rising river. As the vehicle became trapped in the fast-flowing waters, panic ensued among the passengers,” police said, based on eyewitness counts.
The Nwoya District Territorial Police, led by DPC SSP Anyama Richard, swiftly responded to the scene and alerted the technical team from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), prompting the dispatch of a rescue boat crewed by four personnel.
However, in a tragic turn of events during the rescue attempt, the UNRA boat capsized, resulting in the drowning of its Marine Engineer, Yahaya Hassan.
“His body has since been retrieved and taken to Pakwach Health Center IV for a postmortem examination. Fortunately, his colleagues were rescued by a second marine boat provided by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF),” said ASP Ongom David Mudong, Public Relations Officer for Aswa West.
He added that with the assistance of an excavator and equipment from the China Railways construction site in Olwiyo, the Drone Taxi was successfully pulled from the water.
The following passengers were rescued and subsequently admitted to Anaka General Hospital for treatment and first aid:
- Badaru Comfort
- Apio Modesta
- Ogwang Jasper
- Okello Muhammed (the driver)
- Akong Gloria
- Yasin Kemisalah
- Achen Lona
- Ajedra Juliet
- Akello Gift
- Akello Gifty
- Akongo Vivian
- Ssekyewa Deziderio
- Stella Kakabuye
According to Mr Mudong, police detectives are currently compiling statements from witnesses and will be interviewing the rescued passengers once they are medically cleared.
Meanwhile, the driver of the drone taxi, Okello Mohamed, has been arrested for reckless driving and is pending interrogation as part of the ongoing investigation.
“Following an assessment by UNRA engineers, the Pakwach-Nwoya road was found to be severely damaged, necessitating immediate repairs. In light of this, authorities have issued a temporary ban on all vehicular traffic on the road, allowing only pedestrian access,” Mudong stressed, urging “the public to adhere to this precautionary measure to prevent further incidents that pose serious risks to life and safety.”
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