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At least 20 schoolchildren and one adult have been killed in a devastating school bus crash.
According to local officials, the school bus carrying students on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda, making it one of the deadliest road accidents involving children in the country.
Furthermore, several others, including school staff, were injured in the crash on the Kapchorwa area on Thursday evening, July 16.
Details about the Uganda school bus crash
Preliminary investigations show the bus suffered a mechanical fault before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill, a stretch of road that has been the site of several serious crashes.
"The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned," police said.
The bus, carrying students from King David Junior School in Ndejje, crashed at about 20:00 local time at Chekwatit village in the Kawowo area.
"Sadly, 20 children and 1 adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord," Minister of Local Government, Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara, revealed on an X post.
The pupils were returning from a study tour, with local media reporting they had visited the Sipi Falls, a tourist area.
Police shared an image of a badly crashed and overturned bus and said investigations were ongoing, with several children and adults receiving treatment in hospital.
Traffic accidents in Uganda
Uganda records thousands of road deaths every year due to speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and dangerous roads, according to traffic authorities.
The latest crash comes amid renewed concern over the safety of school transport after several serious bus accidents were reported in the country in recent weeks.
