Speeding Fuel Tanker Plunges into Nile Waters at Karuma Bridge

Two people are feared dead after a speeding fuel truck en-route to Kampala on Saturday lost control at Karuma Bridge and plunged into the River Nile waters.

According to the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema, the tanker, registration number UAS 337M on its way from the Gulu Highway, hastily bypassed barricades mounted by police at the Karuma-Arua City highway junction. It then sped off and veered off the bridge after its hydraulic break system failed.

He said the accident occurred around mid day and the truck belonged to one, Busulwa Charles a businessman in Kampala.

Okema said in an interview that the highway integrated patrol teams from Nwoya and Oyam Districts were at the scene tracing the missing bodies and controling the traffic flow.

“Search results have not yet yielded.” Okema said.

He further pointed out that higher authorities and marine experts from police headquarters were notified and were awaited at the Karuma Bridge to intensify the search efforts.

Police has appealed to motorists to ensure all motor vehicles plying the country’s highways are mechanical condition and observe road traffic safety rules to save lives especially when approaching bridges.

Joshua Odong, a regular transporter along the Gulu-Kampala highway, observed that several people have lost lives at Karuma bridge which built in the 1960s during the colonial era.

The most recent of the several accidents also involved two occupants of Fuso truck registration number UAS 994Y which  plunged into the falls and their bodies were never retrieved.

10 people have since 2017 notably lost lives at the bridge that borders Kiryandongo, Oyam and Nwoya Districts, without a trace of their bodies and trucks.

Karuma, located approximately 260 kilometres by road North of Kampala connects Uganda’s capital to the regional cities of Gulu in Acholi, Arua in West Nile and Lira in Lango. URN