At least 20 students of King David Junior School, Ndege, and over 60 injured when the bus they were traveling in was involved in an accident at Chekwata hill, Kapchorwa District, Uganda, local media reported.
The students were returning from a study tour on Thursday evening when their bus reportedly developed mechanical problems and the driver lost control, causing the accident. Chekwata hill is considered one of the most accident-prone areas in the country, with several fatal accidents having occurred there before.
Police said on Friday, "So far, a total of 21 people have been confirmed dead in the horrific road accident that occurred yesterday evening in Kapchorwa District, including 20 students and one adult." The accident involved a bus from King David Junior School in Ndege, Kampala. The driver has not yet been identified.
Hours later, the Minister of Local Government, Barogahare Baliam Atene, who was on a tour of eastern Uganda, visited the scene and confirmed the death of 20 students.
"We found nine children in a critical condition at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, 16 at Serem Health Center, three at Bulambuli Health Center, and the rest are being treated at Kapchorwa Hospital," Mr. Atene said on X, "Unfortunately, 20 children and one adult, who was the founder and director of the institution, are no longer with us."
Elgon Region Police spokesperson, Fred Mark Chesang, confirmed the incident, saying preliminary investigations indicate that the possible cause of the accident was a mechanical fault.
Police officers, locals, and emergency service personnel rushed to the scene to rescue the victims, some of whom were trapped under the wreckage, and took them to nearby health centers. The injured students were rushed to Kapchorwa General Hospital and other nearby health centers for emergency treatment, while the rest were taken to Mbale.
Security personnel remained at the accident scene as investigations continued. Authorities have not released the identities of the deceased as their families are yet to be informed.