13 dead, scores injured in two separate road crashes in Bukomansimbi, Masindi

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A man makes a phone call near the wreckage of a Fuso truck that overturned in Bukomansimbi District killing seven people on the spot. PHOTO/ GERTRUDE MUTYABA

At least eight people have been confirmed dead and 11 others seriously hurt after a Fuso truck they were travelling in Saturday overturned on Masaka –Sembabule road.
The 12:30pm road crash happened at Kawoko –Kigaba in Bukomansimbi District.

According to eyewitnesses, the speeding truck was transporting market vendors -with their luggage- from Nyendo, a suburb in Masaka to the weekly Bukomansimbi playground market before the driver lost control and it rammed into the road guard rail.
“The driver failed to control the Fuso and rammed into the road guard rail before it overturned in the middle of the road,” one of the eyewitnesses,” Mr John Kakembeo said.

11 evacuated 

The Southern Region Police spokesperson, Mr Muhhamad Nsubuga said that police had already evacuated 11 victims to Masaka regional referral hospital for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were equally taken to the same facility for postmortem.
“Our team is already at the scene investigating the cause of the accident and identifying the injured and deceased. We shall issue a statement with more details later,” he said.
Masaka –Villa Maria –Bukomasimbi -Sembabule road is a newly constructed road measuring about 48 kilometers, with less traffic.

Related crash
The crash happened just hours after another truck transporting about 70 casual workers overturned at Ikoba junction in Masindi District, killing five on the spot.
Authorities said the lorry truck was transporting the casual workers from Kinywamurara Camp- heading to one of the Kinyara Limited sugarcane plantations to harvest sugarcane.

The Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Julius Allan Hakiza confirmed the incident but said they were “still compiling the particulars of the deceased and those who sustained injuries in the accident along the Masindi-Hoima road.”
“The injured are currently admitted at Masindi District hospital while those in critical condition have been referred to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital,” he added.  

Today's road crashes happened exactly 10 days after four separate motor accidents – three in western and one in eastern part of the country – on May 4, 2022 claimed 28 lives.

Police statistics 

Police statistics indicate that from February 28 to March 6, about 414 crashes were registered. Of these, 75 accidents were fatal, 226 were serious and 133 were minor. There were 404 crash victims, out of which 89 people died and 315 sustained injuries. The most fatal one occurred on May 4 and claimed over 20 lives of passengers when a bus belonging to Link Bus company overturned at Sibitoli, about 13km from Fort Portal town in Kabarole District.

Police statistics further indicate that from April 24, 2022, to April 30, 2022, police registered 387 crashes, out of which 60 were fatal,213 were serious and 114 were minor. There were 341 crash victims, out of which 67 died and 274 sustained injuries. A total of 119 crashes occurred on May 1, 2022, and out of these, 21 crashes were fatal, 62 were serious and 36 were minor.

Most accidents are blamed on human error, including failure to observe  road signage, drink-driving, phone or distracted driving, driving dangerous mechanical condition vehicles (DMCs), driving when fatigued, reckless driving, and incompetence, among others.