A devastating bus crash in Uganda has left at least 20 school children and a teacher dead after the vehicle ploughed into a rock on a notoriously treacherous road. Approximately 60 others are believed to be wounded.
Details of the Crash
The driver lost control of the bus following a mechanical failure at around 8pm local time on Thursday, causing the vehicle to career off the road in Chekwatit Village, Kapchorwa District. The pupils were returning home from a school trip to Sipi Falls.
Ugandan police confirmed that the bus, an Isuzu with registration number UA 108BQ belonging to King David Junior School in Kampala, rolled onto the roadside after colliding with a substantial rock. Emergency crews found that scores of individuals had been ejected from the bus, with many pinned within the wreckage.
Casualties and Rescue Efforts
According to a Ugandan police chief, a total of 21 people—20 pupils and one adult—have been confirmed dead. The deceased adult was identified as the school's founder and director, Tadeo Ssekade, by Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara, Minister of Local Government. Neither the driver nor the children have been named yet.
Survivors were transported to three separate local hospitals. Police confirmed that several adult males and multiple children sustained severe injuries, with three adult males left in critical condition.
Community Response
Stanley Bayole, Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner, commended the community's overwhelming response: "People brought bedding, offered transport and joined rescue efforts without hesitation. This is a strong sign of humanity and solidarity during a very difficult moment."
Chekwatit Hill, the location of the incident, has long been recognized as one of Uganda's most dangerous stretches of road, having witnessed numerous fatal accidents over the years.
Recent Similar Incidents
This collision ranks among the deadliest involving schoolchildren in Uganda in recent memory. Just seven days earlier, a pupil and teacher perished when a bus carrying students crashed into a train in Mukono District. Police also confirmed that 14 lives were lost in a head-on smash between a bus and a trailer on the Kampala-Gulu Highway earlier this month.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is now underway.
