KIRUHURA
Police in Kiruhura District have confirmed a fatal accident that claimed eight lives and left one person critically injured along the Mbarara–Lyantonde highway on Thursday evening.
The crash occurred at Kibega 1 Village around 6:30 p.m. when a Toyota Hiace (UBQ 016U) traveling from Mbarara towards Lyantonde collided head-on with a Mercedes Benz Actros trailer (KDQ 668L/ZH 5133) coming from the opposite direction.
According to police, the Hiace driver attempted to overtake on a corner, leading to the collision. All occupants of the Hiace perished, with four bodies still trapped inside the wreckage as rescue efforts continued late into the night. The lone survivor was rushed to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
Authorities have attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving. Efforts to identify the deceased are ongoing.
SP Kasasira Samson, PRO Rwizi Region, urged motorists to exercise caution on highways, stressing that such tragedies are preventable with responsible driving.
