23 people have been injured in a bus accident in Mubende district, western Uganda. The accident involving a Link Bus reg no. UBF 967K occurred at around 2.00 am today at Gwanika along the Fort Portal-Kampala highway.
The bus which was coming from Bwera in Kasese district and heading to Kampala reportedly lost control and overturned several times. Amos Atamba, a traffic police officer at Mubende police station, says that the accident might have been caused by smoke from a plywood factory in Nabbingola, saying the smoke covered the road and might have blurred the driver’s vision.
Passengers who sustained serious injuries were rushed to Mubende hospital and others to private health facilities for treatment. Police have since identified some of the injured as Precious Tumwinyare, Wilson Asaba, Walter Muhindo, Cissy Isingoma, Eden Katungo, Denis Bwambale, Kennedy Mumbere, Gerald Byomuhamgi, and Boniface Babala.
Others are Hope Abraham, Amon Akugizibwe, Angel Birungi, Esther Kavira, Musa Farouk, Kombi Mugoya and Bwambale Celestine. Last year, 25 people perished in a fatal accident involving a Link Bus at Sebitoli along the Fort Portal-Kampala highway in Busoro sub county.
Following the crash, a joint team comprising ministry of Works and Transport officials, police, and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) was established to find out the cause of the accident.
According to the findings, the cause of the accident was overspeeding. Although the driver of the bus Paul Ssempagala had over 20 years of experience as a bus driver with no recorded crash history or reckless driving, the findings noted that he was captured by police CCTV moving at a speed of 99km/hr above the prescribed speed limit of 80km/hr. The driver was also captured driving with one arm while the other holding an object suspected to be a mobile phone.
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