Cries and screams filled the air on the Mbale-Kampala highway following a grisly accident that claimed the lives of 12 youths participating in the Imbalu circumcision procession on Friday night.
The accident, according to witnesses, occurred at around 9:20pm after a speeding Omni bus tried to dodge an oncoming commuter taxi and instead swerved off the road and rammed into the dancers killing 12 on the spot and injuring several others.
The accident occurred at Kamonkole Trading Centre, five kilometres from Mbale Town.
The deceased
Relatives of the deceased, who rushed to the scene, wailed as they tried to identify the bodies.
The dead were identified as Fatuma Madango, who was pregnant, Michael Oumo, 24, Julius Balamu Wavuna, 21, Richard Podo, 36, Mubage, 25, Ednand Mirifibi, 16 and Caroline Nabwire, 14.
Others are Ismail Kowe,12,Alex Menya,14,Namulumbi,24,Magino,14,Madango,32 and a one Patrick,15. The injured, whose numbers are yet to be known, were rushed to Mbale hospital.
The accident scene later turned chaotic as angry residents set ablaze the two vehicles involved in the accident, forcing their drivers to flee.
The resident blocked the road for close to two hours, forcing the police to fire live bullets in the air to disperse them.
The District Police Commander, Mr Martin Otim, attributed the accident to speeding. The area from Kamonkole to Jami Trading Centre is a black spot that has claimed about 500 lives in the last five years.
Kabale tragedy
Meanwhile, traffic along the Kabale-Mbarara highway came to stand still on Saturday morning when a fuel tanker lost control and overturned before it burst into flames at Kyanamira Trading Centre.
The driver was burnt beyond recognition. The police identified him as Paulo Maina 40, a resident of Nyeru in Kenya.
His tout Patrick Musiri 22, a resident of Embu, Kenya was severely burnt and rushed to Kabale hospital.
“The accident happened at around 10:30am. The tanker was carrying fuel from Nakuru, Kenya to Rwanda. We suspect that the cause of this accident is reckless driving,” Kabale District Police Commander Bosco Arop said.
The district has no fire truck and police commander for Kigezi sub-region Olivia Wawire said they had called the Fire Brigade from Mbarara District to rescue the situation.
Sunday 2 December 2012
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/13-dead--scores-injured-in-Mbale--Kabale-accidents/-/688334/1634518/-/dhq3cd/-/index.html
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