Forty six people have been killed after several vehicles crashed on a major highway in Uganda, the police say.
The police revised down an earlier death toll of 63, saying they had mistakenly included victims who were unconscious and were now being treated.
The crash occurred when two buses travelling in opposite directions “met head on” while trying to overtake two other vehicles – a lorry and a car –on the Kampala-Gulu Highway at 00:15 local time (21:15 GMT), the Uganda Police Force said.
One of the buses swerved in an attempt to avoid a crash, but in the process caused a “head on and side collision” that led to a “chain reaction” in which other vehicles lost control and overturned.
The accident involved two Isuzu buses—registration numbers UBF 614X (Nile Star Coaches) and UAM 045V (Planet Company)—a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07), and a Tata lorry (UBK 647C).
SP Michael Kananura, spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, said preliminary investigations indicate that the Nile Star bus, which was travelling from Kampala to Gulu, attempted to overtake the Tata lorry at the time of the crash.
Another Planet Company bus coming from the opposite direction was also trying to overtake the Toyota Surf, leading to a head-on collision between the two buses.
“One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times,” Kananura said.
As well as the fatalities, the passengers of the vehicles involved and several others were injured, police said. An investigation has been launched.
The injured have been taken to different hospitals in the western town of Kiryandongo.
In a statement, police said they were working with health and emergency services to verify the numbers and provide accurate updates as investigations continue into the cause of the tragedy.
Regional Police spokesperson Julius Hakiiza attributed the crash to a bus that was “trying to overtake”.
He told the media it had collided head-on “with another bus that was coming from a different direction”.
Four vehicles were involved in the accident, he added.
President Yoweri Museveni said he had learnt of the tragic accident “with sadness” and sent his condolences to the bereaved families.
He urged caution to prevent such tragedies.
He directed that each bereaved family be given five million shillings each and a million shillings to the injured.
The highway between the capital Kampala in the south and the northern city of Gulu is one of the country’s busiest.
Following the crash, police have urged motorists to avoid “dangerous and careless overtaking”.
It said this “remains one of the leading causes of crashes in the country”.
