Deadly Bus Crash Kills 46 in Uganda
A nighttime collision between two buses and other vehicles on the highway to Gulu in western Uganda has left 46 people dead and several others injured, police say. Authorities initially reported 63 fatalities but revised the toll after discovering some people thought to be dead were still alive.
At least 46 people were killed and several others injured after two buses and other vehicles collided after midnight on the highway to Gulu, a major city in northern Uganda, authorities said. Uganda police initially gave the death toll as 63 in a statement to reporters but later revised the figure to 46, saying some people found unconscious at the scene were mistakenly included in the initial fatality count. "At the time of the crash, several victims were found unconscious, and some may have been mistakenly included in the initial fatality count," the police statement said.
Police described the collision as occurring near the town of Kiryandongo when two buses travelling in opposite directions attempted to overtake other vehicles and met head-on during the manoeuvres. Several injured victims are receiving treatment at a nearby government hospital, officials said.
Irene Nakasiita, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, described the death toll as uncommonly high and said victims were left bleeding with broken limbs. Nakasiita said the images from the scene were too gruesome to share and noted that emergency assistance is often harder to come by at night because bystanders and passersby — who often act as first responders — are less likely to be present.
Fatal road crashes are common across Uganda and East Africa where narrow roads, heavy traffic and speeding are frequent factors. Police typically attribute many such accidents to reckless or speeding drivers. In August, a bus carrying mourners in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch, killing at least 25 people and injuring others, highlighting the regional nature of the road-safety challenge.
What this means for BVI residents: though the crash occurred far from the Virgin Islands, the incident underscores universal road-safety risks, particularly when travelling by road at night or in regions with narrow highways and limited emergency response. Travellers from the BVI planning trips to East Africa or other regions should consider avoiding overnight ground travel when possible, use reputable transport operators, ensure vehicles have functioning seatbelts and emergency contacts, and keep family or friends informed of travel plans.
Ugandan authorities continue to investigate the crash and have been coordinating care for survivors. The revised toll and ongoing emergency response were reported by Virgin Islands News Online citing police and Red Cross statements.
Primary source: VINO