Four dead, eight injured in Mbale-Soroti road crash

Four people have been confirmed dead following a road crash at Corner cell, Bukedea Ward ‘B’, Bukedea Town Council in Bukedea District along Mbale-Soroti Highway.

Police said eight people who are yet to be identified were rushed to Bukedea health centre IV in critical condition after they were seriously hurt in the crash.

The East Kyoga regional police spokesperson, SP Ageca Oscar Gregg, said the fatal accident was at around 6pm on Thursday.

“A taxi in which the deceased and survivors were traveling in veered off the road and overturned several times,” he told Monitor.

According to police, the deceased whose identities have not been established yet include three male adults and one male juvenile who died on spot.

“The accident involved a Toyota Hiace (taxi) motor vehicle which lost control and overturned leaving three male adults, and one male juvenile dead. Six male adults and two female adults were rushed to Bukedea health centre IV in critical condition. The particulars of the affected persons to be provided in due course,” SP Ageca noted.

He attributed the accident to over speeding.

According to the Annual Crime Report 2022, the country registered a 35 percent increase in common traffic offences registered by the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety countrywide from 336,722 cases in 2021 to 456,993 cases in 2022.

As a result, there was an increase of 16.9% in the number of road traffic crashes from 17,443 in 2021 to 20,394 in 2022.

During the period under review, 3,901 crashes were fatal, 10,776 were serious while 5,717 were minor by nature. There were 21,473 casualties from road traffic crashes registered in 2022, an increase of persons killed by 9%, an increase of persons seriously injured by 21% and those who sustained slight injuries increased by 33%.