The driver of a fuel tanker that overturned and burst into flames at Kyanamira trading centre in Kabale District has been transferred to Nakasero Hospital for specialized care, according to police.
Geoffrey Onyango, 34, a resident of Eldoret, Kenya, sustained critical injuries after the tanker he was driving lost control on the Kabale-Mbarara Highway, overturned, and ignited.
Onyango managed to escape the burning vehicle, suffering serious burns before being rushed to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital.
He was later transferred to Nakasero Hospital in Kampala for advanced treatment, said Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson Elly Maate.
“According to the driver, the tanker lost control due to brake failure before it overturned and caught fire. Onyango managed to jump out, but his turn boy, Rogers Onyango, 20, also a Kenyan national, could not escape and was found dead in the truck,” Mr. Maate explained.
Eyewitness Jenina Besigensiyo recounted the dramatic scene, describing how the tanker veered into a trench, overturned, and immediately exploded, blanketing the area in thick smoke. Fortunately, police and fire brigade responders arrived in time to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby houses, though a water tank at a nearby residence was destroyed.
Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nyakahuma expressed concern over the high rate of accidents in the area, which he described as a “black spot” for heavy vehicles. He promised to engage the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to install speed humps to curb future incidents.
“We register accidents here almost every month,” Nyakahuma stated. “We’ll work with UNRA to implement safety measures and help prevent further tragedies.”
This incident follows another tragic tanker fire last week in Kigoogwa town, about 22 kilometers from Kampala, which claimed at least 24 lives. Authorities are urging stricter safety protocols for tanker drivers on Uganda’s roads.