Buses collide ‘head-on’ in Uganda, killing at least 46
Initial investigations suggest two buses coming from opposite directions collided when trying to overtake other vehicles
Two buses collided on a major highway in Uganda early on Wednesday, killing 46 people and injuring several others, police said, lowering the death toll from 63.
The east African country has a notorious road safety record, frequently recording bus or truck accidents along poorly maintained highways.
The latest incident occurred on the Kampala-Gulu highway in Kiryandongo district just after midnight, when two buses “met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres”, police said in a statement posted on social media.
One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but instead caused “a chain reaction” which led to at least four other vehicles, including a truck and a land cruiser, “losing control and overturning several times”, the statement said.
In an initial statement, police, put the death toll at 63 but later revised the number of dead down to 46, explaining: “At the time of the crash, several victims were found unconscious, and some may have been mistakenly included in the initial fatality count.”
The statement said officials were working closely with health and emergency services, and more updates would be released as the situation developed.