Eleven people killed over 30 injured as fuel tanker overturns, bursts into flames on Kampala-Gulu highway

Kampala, October 22–At least eleven people have been burnt to death and over 30 admitted in various health facilities with serious burns after a fuel tanker ran out of control, overturned and exploded into flames at Kigoogwa trading centre on Kampala-Gulu highway, about 25 kilometres north of the capital Kampala, Tuesday evening.

Ten people died on the spot while one died on arrival at Kiruddu hospital, among the dead nine are adults and two are infants.

The death toll is expected to rise as police is still combing the scene and some of those taken to health facilities were in bad state. The injured were rushed to nearby health facilities of Buwambo Health centre, Bombo Military hospital and Kiruddu hospital. The identity of the victims has not yet been established.

The driver of the fuel tanker, Registration Number UAM 292Q, which was heading to Gulu from Kampala, escaped after jumping out of the truck when it overturned.

Four building housing shops were badly damaged by the blaze and property worth millions of shillings was lost.

The fuel that was oozing out of the fallen fuel tanker, attracted people nearby who started siphoning fuel for material gains.

The incident caused heavy traffic jam between Matugga trading centre and Kakerenge trading centre on the Kampala-Gulu highway.

Kampala North Regional Police Commander SSP Moses Nanoka, told Journalists at the scene that nearby there was a lady roasting maize, homesteads and shops, and therefore “we cannot know exactly what was the source of the fire”.

“The diver of the fuel tanker jumped out of after it overturned. He is in shock now and we are treating everybody as victim until investigations are complete” Nanoka told Journalists.

Nanoka said some bodies were burnt beyond recognition and were taken to Mulago hospital for postmortem. “Some were burnt to the extent that we cannot ascertain whether they are two or one”, he said.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said that people who rushed to siphon fuel from the tanker were the most affected.

Police are conducting a fact-finding mission to confirm the number of injured persons from health facilities, Onyango said in a statement he issued.

“This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with tanker accidents and importance of exercising caution when dealing with hazardous materials”, Onyango said.

In August 2019, 19 people died when a fuel truck barrelled into other vehicles in a busy town in western Uganda and exploded.

Just last week more than 150 people were burnt to death in Nigeria in a similar fuel siphoning incident fron an overturned tanker.