Uganda Bus Crash Death Toll Revised to 46; Careless Overtaking Blamed

KIRYANDONGO, UGANDA – Ugandan police have revised the official death toll from a devastating multi-vehicle crash on the Kampala-Gulu Highway to 46 fatalities, down from an initial count of 63. Authorities stated the initial figure mistakenly included several unconscious victims who are now receiving hospital treatment.

The collision, one of the deadliest in the country’s recent history, occurred at 00:15 local time (21:15 GMT) when two buses traveling in opposite directions collided head-on while attempting to overtake other vehicles—a lorry and a car—on the busy highway.

The Uganda Police Force confirmed that the sequence of events began as one bus swerved in an attempt to avoid a crash, leading to a catastrophic “head on and side collision” that triggered a “chain reaction” causing other vehicles to lose control and overturn. A total of four vehicles were involved in the horrific incident near Kiryandongo.

Regional Police spokesperson Julius Hakiiza explicitly attributed the crash to “dangerous and careless overtaking,” a factor the police repeatedly warn is a leading cause of fatal road crashes in Uganda.

In addition to the 46 confirmed deaths, an unspecified number of passengers and occupants from the vehicles sustained injuries and were rushed to various hospitals in the western town of Kiryandongo. The reduction in the death toll followed a fresh update from hospital officials who confirmed the victims initially feared dead were alive and under medical care.

The police have launched a full investigation into the tragedy and issued a renewed urgent appeal to all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, particularly avoiding dangerous overtaking maneuvers. The Kampala-Gulu Highway serves as a crucial, heavily trafficked link between the capital in the south and the northern city of Gulu.