Five students of Iki-Iki Senior Secondary School in Budaka District, have lost their lives after a truck they were traveling in overturned on the Mbale-Tirinyi Highway on Tuesday.
According to eyewitness accounts, the accident that occurred as it approached 10am at Mile nine after the driver of the Toyota Canter truck registration number UAP 443Z which was speeding failed to negotiate a sharp corner, veered off the road and overturned several times with a number of students on board.
The North Bukedi regional police spokesperson, ASP Wilfred Kyempasa, attributed the accident to reckless driving by the driver who was arrested by the police after it rescued him from an irate mob that wanted to lynch him.
Kyempasa noted that preliminary investigations show that the vehicle was overloaded and was in a bad mechanical condition at the time of the accident.
The injured students were taken to various health facilities for treatment with the bigger number being taken to Mbale Regional Hospital.
According to authorities, the students were travelling to Kamonkoli Seed Secondary School, in Budaka District to participate in a football tournament with colleagues from several other schools.
