Driver dies, 90 admitted as fuel tanker catches fire

IGANGA.

One person has been confirmed dead while 90, mostly school children are admitted in different health facilities after an accident involving four vehicles at Buseyi village, along Iganga-Bugiri highway, in Iganga district.

The accident occurred on Thursday evening at around 8pm when a fuel tanker heading to Iganga town collided with a trailer coming from the opposite direction.

According to eyewitnesses the accident happened after the fuel tanker tried to make a U-turn in the middle of the road.
Eye witnesses add that a Soroti-bound bus which was behind the trailer over turned after its driver lost control of it and later tried to brake instantly.

Most of the admitted are school children of St Ann Mandela boarding school in Soroti district who were returning from a field tour in Kampala.

“The place is a valley and both trailers were speeding. When the car coming from Iganga town tried to turn to the right hand direction, the trailer heading towards Iganga lost control and the two collided head-on. The bus that was behind the trailer overturned after the driver tried to avoid crashing into the two vehicles by braking instantly,” said Mr Abdalah Waigangala, one of the eye witnesses.

Residents started siphoning fuel from the tanker causing the police at the scene to fire live bullets and tear gas to disperse them, before the tanker caught fire.

The driver of the tanker according to eye witnesses jumped out of the vehicle but had sustained serious injuries to his head and he died shortly after reaching Iganga hospital. Iganga District police commander, Nasibu Ndita, identified the deceased as Ibrahim Abdulahi.

Mr Ndita added that the bus was carrying 89 people majority being pupils who were admitted to Iganga and Buluba hospitals.
“Some of them had fractures on the legs and suspected internal bleeding but medical workers say that they will get well,” Mr Ndita said.