A Fuso truck carrying more than fifty traders and farmers, mostly women, overturned at Awendukei Village in Otheko Parish, Paidha Sub-County, Zombo District, on Saturday, October 12.
The truck, with registration number UAP 846 P, was transporting passengers from Paidha Sub-County to Paidha Main Market in Paidha Town Council when the accident occurred.
Eyewitnesses blamed the crash on overloading, the poor mechanical condition of the vehicle, and the deteriorating state of the road.
William Okethi, the LCIII chairperson of Paidha Sub-County, confirmed the incident, stating, “We haven’t received reports of any fatalities, but many people were critically injured.”
At the time of writing, details regarding the number of casualties were limited, as Zombo District Traffic Police officers were still at the scene investigating the cause of the accident. A source from Paidha Central Police Station mentioned that many of the injured were rushed to various health facilities, with seven people in critical condition.
Bruno Obomba, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Zombo, expressed his shock upon receiving the news.
According to the 2023 Uganda Traffic Police report, road accidents claim the lives of 12 to 13 people daily in the country.
In 2023, there were 4,806 fatalities from road crashes, a rise from 4,534 recorded in 2022.