The death toll from a tragic fuel tanker explosion near Uganda's capital, Kampala, has risen to 24, according to a government statement released on Sunday.
The devastating accident occurred Tuesday in Kigogwa, approximately 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Kampala when a fuel tanker en route from Kampala to Gulu overturned and burst into flames.
According to Communications Minister Godfrey Kabbyanga, 11 people were confirmed dead at the scene, while 13 others succumbed to their injuries in Kiruddu Hospital and Bombo Military Hospital, raising the toll to 24.
“Since some dead were burnt beyond recognition, the police have been working tirelessly to identify the deceased through DNA testing,” Kabbyanga said.
The tanker’s driver reportedly fled the scene and remains at large.
The accident left multiple individuals hospitalized, with several survivors still receiving treatment, according to local broadcaster NTV.
Fuel tanker accidents have become a recurring tragedy in Uganda, often resulting in high casualties as people risk their lives to collect fuel from overturned trucks.
This incident follows another deadly fuel tanker explosion on October 15 in northern Nigeria, which claimed over 170 lives.
Similar disasters have struck Uganda in the past. In August 2019, a fuel truck explosion in Kyambura killed 19 people, and in 2002, an oil truck collided with a bus in Rutoto, killing 70.
In 2013, another fuel tanker explosion in Kampala took 33 lives.
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