Two dead, 31 hospitalised as school bus rams into stationary truck

Two students from Midland High School in Kaberamaido District, Eastern Uganda died Thursday morning after the bus they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck at Awoja primary school along along the Soroti –Mbale road.

The students and their teachers were headed for Masese in Jinja City for a Geography study tour when suddenly the Busitema University bus registration number UG 191E they were traveling in rammed into a stationary truck UBL 709T/UA0781C, a Mercedes Benz. 
The East Kyoga acting police spokesperson, Mr John Robert Tukei identified the deceased as Susan Alwedo and Simon Peter Eriku. 

Mr Tukei said the crash happened at 4am as the bus driver who is said to be on the run swerved to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming truck, forcing him to ram into a stationary truck that was loaded with pine logs. 
“The investigations into this accident are ongoing and we are also looking for the bus driver, who is an employee of Busitema University,” he said. 
Mr Tukei said the other 31 students who are in critical condition are receiving medication at Soroti regional referral hospital. 

The school head teacher, Mr John Baptist Ekou said the students left Kaberamaido at 1am but at around 4am, he started receiving distress phone calls from the teachers and students about the crash. 

“We immediately got on the road, reaching here, we found that two of the students had died on spot, and the medical team from Soroti hospital, Red Cross and the locals were trying to pull the bodies out of the wreckage,” Mr Ekou explained. 

He said among the injured is his director of studies. 
Mr Ekou said they had hired three vehicles for the over 125 students and when the crash happened, the other two returned to school. 
“We call for calm among our dear parents, especially for families that have lost their dear ones, it is a trying moment at a time when we are approaching the national examinations,” he said. 

Mr Athanasius Ariemo, the medical officer coordinating emergency services at Soroti regional referral hospital said at around 4am he received a call from the DPC informing him about the crash. 
He said he immediately arranged for three ambulances, two2 from the regional hospital and the other from the Red Cross that reached the scene to rescue the injured.

 Mr Ariemo said bodies of the two students are in the mortuary while 24 survivors who were seriously injured are responding to treatment.
“We mobilized for support from Princess Diana hospital in terms of fluids, and we are getting on well,” he said. 
Kenneth Opio, a senior four student who survived the crash said he’s still terrified and hopes to recover in time to write his national exams scheduled just days away.