Hoima City, Uganda: At least 19 people have died and several others sustained critical injuries in a horrific crash after a Fuso truck carrying traders lost control and overturned along the Hoima–Buliisa Road, police confirmed on Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred Tuesday night near Hillside Secondary School in Kigorobya Sub-county, when the lorry, registration number UBB 639W, reportedly failed to climb a hill and rolled backwards at high speed, crashing into traders onboard and overturning fatally.
Police and eyewitnesses said the victims were mostly mobile traders from Hoima City who had travelled to a rural auction market and were returning to the popular Hardware Market opposite the Cadam building, where they sell clothes, shoes, and other merchandise.
The group had been dangerously packed onto the truck, some seated atop cargo, despite repeated safety warnings. “We counted several bodies before police arrived,” a local witness said. “The truck just came speeding back downhill and crushed people.”
By Wednesday morning, a heavy downpour did not deter grief-stricken families who gathered at Hoima City Mortuary in Isaka-Kijungu village to identify their loved ones. The community was in mourning as graphic images and videos of the carnage spread rapidly across social media, showing bodies strewn along the roadside.
“My son Pius Magala was also part of the people who have perished,” said Robert Katongole, a devastated parent from Hoima City. Another mourner, struggling to hold back tears, said: “In this video, I’ve just seen a friend of mine called Denis. It’s heartbreaking. Imagine identifying your friend through a video.”
Traffic police confirmed that 19 people died on the spot, while 13 others were injured, some critically, and rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency care.
Gorret Kimuli, one of the traders who narrowly escaped death, revealed that she had opted to take a taxi instead of joining the ill-fated truck. “That decision saved my life,” she told Monitor.
Hoima West resident Husana Agaba said she lost two relatives in the crash. “I have identified one body. The other is still missing,” she said. Stuart Kugonza of Kigarama Cell also mourned the loss of his best friend, Anthony, an electronics trader, describing him as “like a brother.”
Mobile trader Gertrude Kasango said the scale of the accident was unprecedented in their trading circles. “We are devastated. We have never recorded an accident of this magnitude,” she said.
The tragedy has triggered public anger over the continued use of unsafe, overloaded lorries for long-distance travel. Locals accuse traffic officers of negligence and failing to enforce safety regulations on such routes.
On Wednesday, traffic police responded by urging drivers to conduct routine mechanical checks, saying, “Drivers need to ensure regular maintenance and mechanical checks of their vehicles to prevent avoidable mechanical failures.”
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