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Six dead, 11 injured as cement truck rams into taxi along Jinja-Kampala highway
Traffic officers inspect the wreckage of the cement track that rammed into a taxi killing six ad injuring 11 others at Nile Village in Buikwe District on December 6, 2022. PHOTOS/ DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- Multiple sources said before the police and Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers arrived to secure the scene, some first responders were seen looting from the victims who were trapped in the wreckages, instead of helping them.
Six people died Tuesday afternoon after a speeding Fuso truck rammed into a Toyota Hiace taxi they were travelling in along the Jinja-Kampala highway.
The 1:50pm road crash that happened near Nile breweries at Nile Village in Njeru Central Division, Njeru Municipal Council, Buikwe District left 11 others seriously hurt, according to police.
The deceased persons who were all passengers in the taxi are yet to be identified, while some of the injured are; Elvis Mandu, 26, Merab Adong, 20, and another one only identified as Kato.
“The other eight injured persons are yet to be identified as they are unable to speak due to severe injuries,” Ssezibwa region police spokesperson, Hellen Butoto said.
Multiple sources said before the police and Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers arrived to secure the scene, some first responders were seen looting from the victims who were trapped in the wreckages, instead of helping them.
Some of the eyewitnesses who spoke to this reporter said they saw some people taking away mattresses, bags and mobile phones as survivors pleaded for help.
One of the eyewitnesses, Mr Charles Zziwa, a boda-boda rider at Nile Breweries Ltd stage said the truck was transporting bags of cement by the time of the accident.
It is alleged that the driver of the truck from Kayunga side heading towards Njeru lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the taxi which was travelling from Kampala side heading towards Mbale.
“The injured persons have been rushed to Jinja hospital and Nile international hospital respectively for treatment while the six dead bodies have all been conveyed to Jinja hospital mortuary pending postmortem examination,” Ms Butoto added in a Tuesday evening statement.
The wreckage of both motor vehicles are parked at Njeru police station yard pending inspection by IOV as inquiries continue.
