At least 16 people have been confirmed dead as a result of a tragic road accident involving a taxi and a Fuso truck in Kagadi, Uganda.
The incident happened on Sunday around 8 pm local time in Muhorro town council, Kagadi District, along the Kagadi-Kyenjojo-Fort Portal Highway.
According to eyewitnesses, a taxi travelling from Fort Portal collided head-on with a Fuso truck transporting silverfish.
“The Fuso truck failed to brake, and the driver lost control, thus ramming into a taxi. We have so far counted 16 lifeless bodies, including that of the taxi driver identified as Henry Acaali,” Felix Amumpaire, an eyewitness, said.
He added that the victims were mostly Kagadi town council members returning from a burial in Fort Portal.
Five injured people were rushed to the Muhorro Community Health Centre for treatment.
Police efforts to identify the deceased are still ongoing as investigations into the matter continue.
Meanwhile, residents in the area have expressed concern about the recent spate of accidents at the same location.
Kagadi Town
Kagadi is a town in Uganda’s Western Region. It serves as the district’s commercial and administrative headquarters.
The town is located in Buyaga County, approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) southwest of Hoima, the largest town in the Bunyoro sub-region. This is approximately 245 kilometres (152 mi) by road west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The coordinates of the town are 0°56’28.0″N, 30°48’39.0″E (Latitude:0.941111; Longitude: 30.810833).
The 2002 national population census put the population of Kagadi at 13,568. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population at 20,600. In 2011, UBOS estimated the mid-year population at 21,600. In 2014, the national census put the population at 22,813.