Three die in Northern By-pass fly-over car crash

At least three people are feared to have died and nine others admitted to Mulago Hospital in critical condition following last evening’s accident in which a private vehicle fell over a fly-over, hitting a taxi and a motorcyclist.

The accident occurred as a Toyota Surf travelling from Mpereerwe to Namungoona on the Northern By-pass flew over the Bwaise fly-over hitting a taxi that was heading to Kawempe.
A lady driver, said to have been in the private car, was said to have died on the spot.

“We have not yet established the number and identity of the dead but those injured are nine. We are still trying to find out their identities,” police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said last night.

A Uganda Red Cross volunteer, who declined to identify herself because they are not authorised to speak to the press, said two bodies had been sent to the mortuary while relatives had claimed and taken away another.

But a visit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where those injured were rushed, indicated their identities as Nassuna Ssemanda, Atta Ssemanda, Amujad Ssemanda, all children of Mr Mohammad Ssemanda an insurer in the city.

The father, who was at the casualty ward, narrated that the children, two of whom are 12 and 13 years old had been put on a taxi to take them home because the parents were still busy at work.

Mr Ssemanda is also the chairman of New Taxi Park Traders Association.
Others injured included Teddy Nakaggwa and her year-old baby Brenda, Umar Ndaula, Catherine Naggawa, 44, Henry Mukiibi, 28, of Kazo and Esther Naabsuuta, 20.

Relative calls
A relative of the victims called Saturday Monitor last night to say a kin, Sylvia Nankinga of Kawempe, a mother of two, had died in the accident.
At Mulago, this newspaper was told that two bodies, whose identities had not been established, had been taken to the mortuary.

Police identified the involved motorcycle as registration No. UDH213E but the cyclist was yet to be identified.
The wreckage of the vehicles was towed from the scene AT 7.30pm to clear way for flow of traffic.

Broken glass from the windscreens was scattered at the scene of the accident. Abandoned shoes and blood littered the place.
Medical officers headed by Dr Augustine Gasake and Senior Nusing Officer Edith Nassuna were working tirelessly to save lives and alleviate the pain of the injured.

Twelve-year-old Amujad was crying and bleeding profusely from open-head wounds. His brother, Attas was lying unconscious on the opposite bed.
The accident comes barely two weeks, following the deadly southern Sudan accident that claimed 28 lives when two buses collided.