Two people died early Saturday morning when a fuel tanker collided with a Fuso truck along the Masaka-Mbarara Bypass near Kasijjagirwa.
The fatal crash, which occurred around 4 a.m., left the driver of the Fuso truck, Profit Kyaluzi, and his turn boy, Gadaffi Katabaka, dead at the scene.
The Fuso truck, carrying various goods from Kampala, collided with a fuel tanker traveling from Tanzania.
Police fire tender trucks stationed in Masaka were quickly deployed to the scene, where officers worked to prevent the tanker from bursting into flames.
Officers, led by Regional Traffic Officer Richard Komakech, sprayed soapy water on the tanker to avert an explosion, citing recent deadly incidents like the Kigoogwa tanker fire that claimed at least 24 lives.
Eyewitnesses from Kasijjagirwa Village expressed concerns about the narrow road, which they say is increasingly dangerous for heavy trucks from Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo that use it regularly.
“The bypass should have been a dual carriageway. We need urgent measures to prevent future accidents,” resident Simon Sekitto commented.
Traffic Officer Komakech confirmed that the driver of the fuel tanker survived the accident unharmed.
“The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but our fire brigade’s timely intervention prevented a possible explosion,” he stated.
Local leaders and residents are now calling for immediate road safety improvements, such as speed bumps, to reduce accidents on this busy trade route.
