KIRYANDONGO, Uganda (BN24) — At least sixty-three people were killed when two buses and two other vehicles crashed early Wednesday on a highway in western Uganda, police said, in one of the worst motor accidents in the East African country in recent years.
The buses were traveling in opposite directions before they “met head-on” while both attempting to overtake other vehicles on the Kampala-Gulu Highway, police confirmed. As one of the buses reportedly swerved across the road to avoid crashing, it collided with the other packed coach. Both were full of passengers at the time.
Two bus drivers going in opposite directions attempted to overtake other vehicles and collided near the town of Kiryandongo, according to police. “In the process, both buses met head-on during the overtaking maneuvers,” the police statement said.
The crash caused a “chain reaction” as both buses were left smashed on the highway and other vehicles overturned as they tried to avoid the carnage. Several other people were injured in the crash that happened after midnight local time.
The massive traffic incident took place at twelve fifteen in the morning local time, according to the Uganda Police Force. Both buses were operated by separate companies frequently used in Uganda. One was from Planet Company and the other a Nile Star bus.
Dozens of others were found injured by the roadside when emergency officials arrived at the scene in Kitaleba village. Those injured have been taken to hospital in the western town of Kiryandongo. Most of the injured people are receiving treatment at a government hospital nearby.
The other two vehicles badly damaged in the crash were a Toyota and a Tata lorry truck, according to a police report. An investigation has been launched into the exact cause of the crash.
The death toll in the crash is uncommonly high, said Irene Nakasiita, a Red Cross spokeswoman who described victims left bleeding with broken limbs. She said the images from the scene were too gruesome to share. “The magnitude of this incident is so big,” Nakasiita said.
While accident victims can expect to get help from onlookers and other first responders who rush to crash sites, “at night even bystanders are not there,” she said.
Police say they fear the number of casualties may still increase due to the severity of some of the injuries.
Fatal road crashes are common in Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa, where roads are often narrow. Police usually blame such accidents on speeding drivers. In August, a bus carrying mourners back home from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch, killing at least twenty-five people and injuring several others.
The highway between the capital of Kampala in the south and the northern city of Gulu is one of the busiest in the country.
Director of Traffic and Road Safety for the Uganda Police Force, Kananura Michael, said the deadly accident must be a reminder of the dangers of overtaking on busy roads. “As investigations continue, we strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking, which remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country,” he said in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a quick recovery to the injured.”
The crash comes just weeks after another deadly bus incident saw one person die and six others injured after a wandering elephant ran into the side of a vehicle. That tragic accident took place around one thirty in the morning near Karuma when the passenger vehicle was traveling from Gulu to Kampala. The driver of the bus is believed to have died after sustaining serious injuries when the glass windows and front of the vehicle caved in.
In Uganda, five thousand one hundred forty-four people were killed in road crashes in 2024. That number rose from four thousand eight hundred six in 2023 and four thousand five hundred thirty-four in 2022, according to official police figures, which show a worrisome rise in the total number of those killed or injured in road crashes in recent years.
Careless overtaking and speeding accounted for forty-four point five percent of all crashes documented in 2024, the police’s latest crime report said.
“As investigations continue, we strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking, which remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country,” the police said in their statement after the latest crash.
The scale of the tragedy has shocked Uganda and prompted renewed calls for improved road safety measures. Transportation safety experts have long warned about the dangers of narrow highways and aggressive driving behaviors, particularly overtaking on roads not designed for such maneuvers.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges with road safety infrastructure and enforcement in East Africa, where rapid population growth and increased vehicle ownership have outpaced improvements to transportation systems.
Contributions: AP/the-sun
