The number of people who perished in a late night accident on Friday January 6, 2023 when a Roblyn company bus rammed into a stationed truck at Kamdini in Apac district, has risen to 19.
According to Police Traffic, 15 people died on spot in the deadliest accident of 2023, but four more people died shortly afterwards from Atapara hospital where the injured were rushed for emergency treatment.
The grisly incident, which left close to twenty others with severe injuries, has shocked the nation that is still gripped with news that more than 100 people died in accidents during the hectic end-of-year travels.
The police said its preliminary investigations blamed the accident on the driver of the truck who didn’t use triangle light reflectors to warn other motorists.
But some reports have indicated that the driver of the bus was on phone at the time of the accident, while others say he was over speeding.
Uganda Traffic Police has in recent weeks been warning about the rise in accidents, with regular reports of road crashes from across the country.
In the three days December 30, 2022 to January 1, 2023, the police recorded 35 deaths and 114 cases of people who sustained serious injuries from road accidents.
But this followed days of bloodshed and tears that arose from numerous accidents recorded across the country in which more than 100 people lost their lives during the Christmas season.
The reports have gripped the nation and forced Parliament to schedule debate on the matter. During its plenary sitting on January 6, 2023 Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa directed the Minister of Works Gen. Katumba Wamala to make a statement on the floor of Parliament on the causes of the accidents and what measures they intend to introduce to curb the crashes.
