Five prisoners die in Luweero road accident
A recovery truck tows away the prisons truck involved in the Kampala-Gulu road accident in Luweero. PHOTO | DAN WANDERA
Five inmates at Butuntumula Central Prisons facility have died in a grisly road accident involving a Prisons truck and a saloon car at Nalongo Village on the Kampala-Gulu highway in Luweero District.
Luweero District Police Commander Mr Living Twazagye on Monday confirmed the fatal accident that killed five prisoners on the spot while several including two prison warders sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Luweero Hospital.
“The accident that involved a Salon car Toyota Wish car Reg. No UBG 587W and a Prisons truck Reg. No. 0363U transporting 54 prisoners and 12 prison staff got involved in the accident. The Toyota wish car had a tire burst and lost control before ramming into the prison truck. The Prisons truck overturned after its driver lost control,” Mr Twezagye explained briefly.
Uganda Prisons Deputy Spokesperson, Mr Moses Ssentalo, when contacted said he was yet to get a full briefing about the identities of the deceased inmates and prison staff involved in the accident.
“We have received the unfortunate news and our teams are compiling the information regarding the accident. It is a sad incident,” he said briefly.
Mr Simon Ssendege, a resident at Nalongo Village and an eye witness, said he had a loud bang and later rushed to the scene where he joined the other residents that gathered to try and save lives. “The saloon car was reportedly speeding. It lost control after a tire burst,” he said.
Meanwhile the Savana Region police spokesperson, Mr Isah Semwogerere, says the driver of the saloon car disappeared and is on the run.
