BUIKWE .
Three people have been confirmed dead and 30 others sustained varying degrees of injures after a bus belonging to YY Bus Company overturned and later burst in flames at Makindu Village along the Kisoga-Nyenga Road in Buikwe District on Monday evening .
The 5pm crash , according to Police , happened as the driver of the Scania bus Registration Number UAV 701C attempted to dodge a boda boda rider carrying firewood . The ill-fated bus which was coming from Kampala City was en-route to Mbale in Eastern Uganda.
Ms Hellen Butoto , the Ssezibwa Regional Police spokesperson told Journalists on Tuesday morning that their investigations had revealed that only three people had died in this motor crash-inferno tragedy.
She said the 30 survivors with some having severe burns are admitted at Kawolo Hospital and St. Charles Lwanga Hospital –both located in Buikwe District .
Ms Butoto revealed that the survivors who are seriously injured are 10 male adults, 14 female adults, two male juveniles and four female juveniles.
“ The three bodies were burnt beyond recognition and I am sure they will be subjected to DNA tests to identify them .Good enough ,we currently have the DNA test machine as Police and we would only buy reagents and consumables,” she said
Mukono-Kisoga Nyenga Road ,commonly known as Katosi Road has sharp corners ,but it has in the past couple of years attracted heavy traffic since the main Kampala-Jinja highway is undergoing rehabilitation .
According to locals at Makindi Village , the scene of the crash is a known black spot and several accidents have been recorded in the past.
“ This road was designed for less traffic since it is an alternative route to Eastern Uganda ,but we are currently experiencing heavy traffic because of the ongoing repair works along the Kampala-Jinja highway .So, government needs to come up with a clear plan to widen some of the sharp corners and narrow bends to avoid more crashes ,” Sam Kitooke ,a resident observed
The 2024 Police annual crime report indicate that at least 14 people were killed on a daily in crashes on Ugandan roads.
The report shows that a total of 5,144 people were killed in road crashes, indicating a 7 percent increase from the 4,806 killed in 2023 while 17,013 representing a 1.7 percent increase were seriously injured in 2024 due to road crashes.
The report released by Police in February also indicates that the number of reported road crashes increased by 6.4 percent in 2024, from 23,608 in 2023 to 25,107 in 2024.
The number of reported fatal crashes also increased by 6.1 percent , from 4,179 in 2023 to 4,434 in 2024. The number of serious crashes increased by 5.2 percent , from 12,487 in 2023 to 13,134 in 2024