24 students from Midland High School in Kaberamaido District were admitted to Soroti Hospital after a bus carrying them collided with a stationary trailer. Tragically, two students lost their lives in the accident. The students, who were in Senior Four and Six, were on a study tour to Jinja when the bus, owned by Busitema University- Arapai Campus, crashed into the trailer from behind. The bus had a total of 64 students on board.
According to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital records, 24 out of the 31 injured students suffered broken bones. Medical staff at the hospital have been busy with surgeries and scans to assess internal injuries suffered by the students.
Additionally, the Director of the school, Nathan Egaru, and two teachers, Hannington Enangu and Juventine Eleru, were also injured in the accident. According to one of the teachers, the accident occurred when the bus driver swerved to avoid a head-on collision with another speeding car on the way to Soroti City.
The authorities are awaiting an inspection report from traffic officers to determine the condition of the bus at the time of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that the driver lost control of the bus, leading to the collision with the stationary trailer.
Busitema University has expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased students and stated that they are waiting for the police report to provide further details on the incident.