Four people have been confirmed dead following a horrific early morning road accident in Bukedea District. The tragedy occurred on Friday at Ocuuma Otialuk village along the busy Mbale-Soroti highway, after a passenger bus and a fuel tanker collided head-on.
South Kyoga Traffic Officer Sowanyala Obadiya confirmed the fatalities at the scene.
According to preliminary reports and eyewitness accounts, the crash involved a Gateway bus with registration number UA 394AN, which was traveling from Kampala toward Soroti, and an oncoming fuel tanker bearing registration numbers KDW154U/ZJ2266.
The impact of the collision was catastrophic, completely demolishing the front end of the bus and crushing its cab section. The violent crash left multiple passengers trapped inside the mangled wreckage in the dark early hours of the morning.
Local residents and early risers rushed to the scene to assist, quickly mobilizing alongside emergency responders to rescue trapped survivors and retrieve victims from the wreckage.
Authorities confirmed that at least 15 people who were aboard the Gateway bus sustained serious injuries. Emergency response teams and Bukedea Police swiftly arrived to secure the site, manage heavy traffic build-up, and coordinate the evacuation of the wounded.
The injured passengers were rushed for emergency medical attention, with some admitted to Bukedea Teaching Hospital and others taken to Bukedea Health Centre IV.
Police have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the crash as recovery and clearance operations continue along the highway.
