Eight people have been confirmed dead following a tragic road accident along the Mbarara–Lyantonde–Masaka highway.
The crash occurred on Tuesday morning at Kalegeero junction in Lyantonde district and involved a Kasaba bus, registration number UAL 492H, which was travelling to Kampala from Rukungiri district.
According to police, the bus, reportedly moving at high speed, veered off the road at Kalegeero junction, about 60 kilometres from Mbarara, as the driver attempted to dodge an oncoming truck.
Greater Masaka Regional Police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye said eight occupants of the bus died on the spot, while several others sustained injuries and were rushed to various health facilities, including Lyantonde General Hospital and Mbarara regional referral hospital.
“At least 14 people have been taken for treatment. The identities of the deceased are yet to be established, but three of them are believed to be women,” Kasirye said.
Kasirye said police have asked the bus company to provide a passenger manifest to help identify the dead and injured, particularly those who remain unconscious. Rescuers, supported by police, retrieved bodies from the wreckage, while some victims were trapped inside and underneath the bus after it overturned.
