One female passenger has been confirmed dead and several others injured after a bus transporting learners from Mwebaze High School in Kakiri collided with a train in Mukono district on Friday morning.
The crash occurred at about 6.45 am in Namumira-Bukasa village, Nakisunga sub-county, along the Katosi Road, as the students travelled to Jinja district for an educational trip.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawala, preliminary investigations indicate that the school bus was attempting to cross a railway line when it was struck by an oncoming train.
Police officers, working alongside emergency responders, evacuated the injured to Mukono General Referral Hospital and other nearby health facilities for treatment. The body of the deceased was taken to the hospital mortuary pending a postmortem examination.
Kawala said police had secured the scene and launched investigations to establish the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the crash. She added that more information would be released as investigations progress and the facts are verified.
According to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), the railway crossing was manned by a railway police officer at the time of the accident. The officer reportedly signalled the school bus driver to stop before attempting to cross the tracks, but the driver allegedly ignored the instruction and proceeded onto the railway line, where the bus was struck by the approaching train.
Some of the residents who helped rescue the victims said several students were visibly distressed following the crash. According to the witnesses, some learners alleged that the bus driver had been driving recklessly and appeared fatigued before the collision.