Multi-Vehicle Crash In Uganda Kills Over 40 Persons
According to the authorities, several cars collided on a major highway in Uganda, killing 46 people.
An original death toll of 63 was lowered by the police, who claimed that they had inadvertently included victims who were asleep and receiving treatment.
At 00:15 local time (21:15 GMT), two buses traveling in opposing directions “met head on” as they attempted to pass two other vehicles, a car and a truck, on the Kampala-Gulu Highway, according to the Uganda Police Force.
One of the buses swerved in an attempt to avoid a crash, but in the process caused a “head on and side collision” that led to a “chain reaction” in which other vehicles lost control and overturned.
According to authorities, the passengers of the involved vehicles as well as a number of other people were hurt in addition to the fatalities. An inquiry has been started.
In the western town of Kiryandongo, the injured have been sent to several hospitals.
As inquiries into the tragedy’s cause continue, police said in a statement that they were collaborating with emergency and medical services to confirm the figures and give correct updates.
Regional Police spokesperson Julius Hakiiza attributed the crash to a bus that was “trying to overtake”.
He told the BBC it had collided head-on “with another bus that was coming from a different direction”.
He stated that the crash involved four vehicles.
One of the busiest highways in the nation connects the northern city of Gulu with the southern capital, Kampala.
Police have advised drivers to refrain from “dangerous and careless overtaking” in the wake of the collision.
It stated that this “remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country” .