63 Killed in Multivehicle Crash on Kampala-Gulu Highway

At least 63 people were killed and several others injured in a multivehicle crash shortly after midnight on the Kampala‑Gulu highway in western Uganda, police said Wednesday. The collision occurred at about 0015 local time on the busy north-south route, authorities said, and involved two passenger buses and two other vehicles near Kitaleba village.

Police said the pileup began when two buses travelling in opposite directions attempted to overtake slower vehicles and collided head on. One driver swerved in an attempt to avoid the collision, which led to a head-on and side impact that caused a chain reaction as other vehicles lost control and overturned, the Uganda Police Force said. Emergency crews found dozens of injured people by the roadside and took them to hospitals in the nearby town of Kiryandongo and other medical facilities.

All 63 fatalities were occupants of the vehicles involved, police said, and the bodies have been taken to local hospital mortuaries for identification and postmortem examination. The two buses were reported to be operated by separate companies frequently used on the route, with a police report naming Planet Company and Nile Star. The other vehicles...