Truck plunges into river in northwestern Uganda, killing 23

Truck plunges into river in northwestern Uganda, killing 23

2012-03-08 07:01:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

KAMPALA, Uganda (BNO NEWS) -- More than 20 bodies were recovered on Wednesday after a truck carrying dozens of people plunged into a river in northwestern Uganda on late Tuesday, police said. Three people remain missing.

The accident happened at about 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday when the ill-fated truck was transporting dozens of traders from a market in the town of Zeu in Zombo district. The vehicle was attempting to cross a wooden bridge over the River Ala when a part gave away, causing the truck to tip over and fall into the river.

A police official said the truck was believed to be carrying 34 people, most of them traders. Rescue teams and volunteers had recovered 23 bodies as of Wednesday afternoon, but three people remain unaccounted for. Eight people were transported to various hospitals in the region for treatment.

"I heard the vehicle sound change and we reversed as we tried to cross the bridge," one of the survivors told the Monitor newspaper. "I don't know how I survived this nasty accident." Police said the accident was most likely caused by both the decaying infrastructure of the bridge and an overloaded truck.

Road accidents are common in Uganda and the number of fatalities each year has constantly increased since 1991. According to the latest data, more than 2,800 people die in road accidents in Uganda each year.

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