WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: A teacher and around 20 kids have lost their lives in a crash in Uganda as the bus driver was driving them home from a school trip
At least 20 children have died in the horror incident(Image: Uganda Police Force /@PoliceUg/X)
At least 20 children and a teacher have been killed in a horror school bus crash after it smashed into a rock on a infamously dangerous road, with 60 others believed to be injured.
The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle upon impact and appeared to have suffered a mechanical fault at around 8pm local time on Thursday, which left the bus veering off Chekwatit Village road. The students were on their way home from a school trip in Sipi Falls, Kapchorwa District, Uganda.
Ugandan police said the vehicle overturned on the roadside after striking a large rock. Emergency services swarmed the scene to find dozens of people had been flung from the bus.
People had been flung from the bus with others still trapped inside the wreckage(Image: Uganda Police Force /@PoliceUg/X)
Multiple people were trapped inside the wreck and were rushed to three different local hospitals after being rescued. A number of adult males have been left with serious injuries as well as many children, police said.
Three other adult males were left with serious injuries as well as several children, cops confirmed.
A Ugandan police chief said: “We wish to confirm that, following the fatal road traffic crash that occurred yesterday evening at Chekwatit Village, a total of 21 people, comprising 20 pupils and one adult, have so far been confirmed dead.
“The crash involved an Isuzu bus, registration number UA 108BQ, belonging to King David Junior School, Ndejje, Makindye Division, Kampala. The Uganda Police Force extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the management of King David Junior School, and all those affected by this tragic incident.
“We also wish the injured a quick and full recovery.”
Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara, Minister of Local Government, said the man who died was the school’s founder and director Tadeo Ssekade. The driver or any of the children are yet to be identified, reports Sun.
Investigations into the how the crash happened are now ongoing.
Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner Stanley Bayole praised the community after the crash. He said: “The response from the community has been overwhelming.
“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, where the crash happened, is widely reported as one of Uganda’s leading accident black spots, with many fatal crashes happening over the years.
This crash is one of the deadliest involving school children in Uganda recent years. One week ago, a student and teacher were killed after a bus transporting pupils collided with a train in Mukono District.
Police confirmed another 14 people were killed in a head-on collision involving a bus and a trailer along the Kampala-Gulu Highway earlier this month.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
