5 traders dead, 7 critically injured in Soroti accident.
At least five people have been confirmed dead while seven others were critically injured following an accident in which a Fuso truck transporting cattle from Kotido District veered off the Soroti-Mbale highway and plunged into Awoja swamp on Wednesday night.
Police from Soroti responded swiftly and managed to retrieve bodies of the victims from the water, while at least 10 carcasses of cattle remained lying in the water following the road crash at the sharp bend near River Awoja.
Oscar Greggory Ageca, the police spokesperson East Kyoga region, attributed the accident to possible reckless driving and added that preliminary investigations also point at possible over speeding at a sharp corner which forced the truck off the road before it overturned.
“We managed to reach the scene on time, and rescued those injured who are now being attended to by the medical workers at Soroti regional referral hospital,” said Ageca.
Hammed Kizza, one of the survivors who was seated in the co- driver’s seat at the time of the crash attributed the accident to reckless driving.
“I kept pleading with our driver not to over speed because the truck we were using is old but he never listened,” said Kizza.
Kizza said the truck had 18 people onboard who were heading to Kibuku and Butembo districts where they had planned to sell the animals.
Kizza said five of his fellow cattle traders died on the spot while the survivors were evacuated from the scene by the Soroti regional referral hospital medical workers at around 10pm.
According to police, the scene of the crash is a hotspot for road carnages.
