Uganda school bus crash toll climbs to 24
Police said three more children died after a school bus overturned in eastern Uganda, prompting a national pause on school trips.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
The death toll from a school bus crash in eastern Uganda has risen to 24 after three more children died of their injuries, police said. The crash has prompted Uganda’s education authorities to suspend school trips nationwide while investigators examine recent accidents involving pupils.
Police said the dead include 23 children and one adult, according to reports by AFP and AP. Six of those killed had not yet been identified, and the adult victim was believed to be the founder and head of King David Junior School.
Bus overturned during return from Sipi Falls
The bus was carrying pupils and teachers from King David Junior School in Kampala, police said. The group was returning to the capital on Thursday night after an educational visit to Sipi Falls, a well-known destination in eastern Uganda.
Police investigators said the driver lost control at Chekwatit village in Kapchorwa district. The vehicle overturned and struck a large stone, according to the investigators cited by AFP and AP.
Dozens of injured children were taken to hospitals after the crash, police said. Twenty-three of them remained under treatment at Kapchorwa General Hospital, according to the same police account.
Police said three other vehicles that were part of the same school trip made it back safely. Authorities did not give further details on the cause of the driver losing control.
School trips halted during investigation
Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports ordered a nationwide halt to school trips on Friday. The ministry said the pause was intended to allow a “comprehensive investigation” into the circumstances of recent crashes involving schoolchildren.
Police also said they would provide escorts to help learners return safely to their schools. The announcement followed the Kapchorwa crash and wider concern about student travel by road.
Uganda has one of the world’s worst road safety records, AFP and AP reported. Crashes are often attributed to speeding, poor road conditions and vehicles that have not been properly maintained, according to the agencies.
The school bus crash came after other fatal incidents on Ugandan roads. Earlier in July, 14 people died when a bus and a truck collided in northern Uganda, AFP and AP reported.
In October, at least 46 people were killed when two buses crashed on a major highway, according to the agencies. The latest deaths in Kapchorwa add to pressure on authorities over road safety and the transport of schoolchildren.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.