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Police name victims of grisly Nakasongola road carnage
The wreckage of the taxi vehicle that claimed seven lives on the Kampala-Gulu highway in Nakasongola District on Jan 14, 2022.PHOTO/DAN WANDERA
What you need to know:
The accident claimed the lives of seven taxi passengers
As relatives rushed to Nakasongola Health Center IV mortuary to identify and pick remains of their respective dear ones killed in the January 14, 2022 evening motor accident on Kampala-Gulu highway, police on Saturday revealed the identities of the seven deceased persons.
The grisly motor accident that involved a trailer and a Toyota Hiace taxi at Kyampisi village on the Kampala- Gulu highway in Nakasongola District claimed the lives of Hariz Nantongo (20), Viani Baho Ntagwabira(35), Hadijah Nabankema (35), Ramrah Nasonko (11), Malu Tendo (2), Scovia Kemikoora (25) and Allan Musaazi (27), all residents of Nakaseke District. The victims were all occupants of the taxi vehicle and destined for Kinyogoga town and Kaweweta barracks in Nakaseke District.
Police also identified one of the injured survivors as Catherine Nakumbi, a resident of Kinyogoga in Nakaseke District.
The driver of the taxi reportedly rammed into a stationary trailer as he tried to dodge a possible head-on collision with a bus that was coming from the opposite direction, heading to Kampala City at 9pm. It is alleged that the speeding taxi driver failed to control the vehicle, crashing into the stationary trailer.
Mr Isah Ssemogerere, the Savana region police spokesperson said the bodies of the deceased were transferred to Nakasongola Health Centre IV mortuary for postmortem.
“It is unfortunate that lives were lost when a taxi vehicle crashed into a trailer at Kyampisi village in Nakasongola District on Friday. While we wait for the police traffic department to avail a conclusive report on the possible cause of the accident, it is clear that there was a possibility of reckless driving. The road users continue to ignore safety driving measures,” he said.
An eyewitness, a resident of Kyampisi village, Mr Musa Kayongo, claimed that he had a loud bang before rushing to the main road that is a distance of about 200 meters from his home.
“Several of the local residents in the area had already retreated to their respective homes when the accident happened. I heard a loud bang followed by a mixture of noise from the main road. I rushed to the accident scene together with other residents to try and save lives. The victims were still trapped in the wreckage when I got to the scene,” he said.
Accidents are prone at the road section between Luweero Town and River Kafu area on the Gulu- Kampala highway. The Traffic police recently named some of the blackspots as Nalongo village in Luweero District, Katuugo, Kyankonwa areas in Nakasogola district that have recently recorded fatal accidents between the months of November 2021 and January 2022.
While local leaders attribute the high rate of accidents to mainly, the narrow road stretch for the Gulu- Kampala highway, the police contend that several of the accidents are partly caused by reckless drivers who ply the busy highway without taking into account the road safety measures in place.
