Twelve people have been killed following a tragic road accident on Sunday night at Lwaba village, Kapyanga sub-county in Bugiri district, along the Jinja–Malaba highway.
The crash, which occurred at around 9:20 pm, involved a Toyota Hiace taxi (commonly known as a “drone”) with registration number UBQ 772A traveling from Kampala to Tororo, and a trailer carrying a container, registration number KBM 175S, heading in the opposite direction from Malaba to Kampala.
According to preliminary police investigations, the accident was triggered by a boda boda rider who attempted to overtake the trailer. In an effort to avoid hitting the motorcycle, the trailer veered into the oncoming lane and collided with the taxi.
The impact caused the trailer’s container to dislodge and fall directly onto the taxi, crushing it. Nine people died instantly at the scene. Two more bodies believed to be the boda boda passengers were found nearby, while another victim succumbed to injuries later, bringing the total number of fatalities to twelve.
Among the injured are the trailer driver and six others, all of whom were rushed to Bugiri hospital for treatment. The identity of the taxi driver remains unknown, and the registration number of the motorcycle involved is yet to be identified.
Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kafayo confirmed that two of the bodies were recovered from beneath the container and are suspected to be women who had been riding on the boda boda. All the deceased were taken to Bugiri Hospital mortuary, pending postmortem examinations.