A charcoal truck has overturned in Nakapiripirit district killing four people on the spot and injuring seven others critically. The truck Reg no. KCF 608F Isuzu FSR that was ferrying the charcoal illegally overturned at Napet area along the Nakapiripirit-Mbale route on Friday evening.
The dead have been identified as Karim, a businessman from Sironko District, his wife, Alice, Umar from Mbale District; and Abako, a woman from South Sudan. The injured were rushed to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for urgent treatment.
Michael Longole, the Mt Moroto regional police spokesperson, says that preliminary police investigations indicated that the truck was carrying 37 bags of charcoal beneath a load of scrap metal. Longole emphasized that over-speeding likely caused the accident, suggesting that the driver might have been attempting to evade security due to the illegal transportation of charcoal.
Police towed the vehicle, along with the charcoal and metal scrap, to Namalu police station for further inspection. Longole warned drivers to avoid over-speeding and adhere to road safety regulations.
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