The death toll from the tragic King David Junior School bus crash has risen to 24 after three more pupils succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment, police confirmed in an update on Saturday.
The bus overturned at Kaserem along the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road while returning from an educational tour to Sipi Falls, making it one of Uganda’s deadliest school transport accidents in recent years.
According to police, 24 people have now been confirmed dead, with efforts continuing to identify all the victims.
“So far, 18 bodies have been identified, while six remain unidentified,” police said, adding that three of the unidentified bodies are at Kapchorwa Hospital and the other three at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
Police also confirmed that 23 survivors remain admitted at Kapchorwa Hospital, where they are receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
Meanwhile, all pupils who survived the accident and did not require hospitalization have safely returned to Kampala aboard a Gateway Bus.
Medical authorities also confirmed that the body of the bus driver has been formally identified using his national identity card and driving permit. His remains are at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
The ill-fated Isuzu bus, registration number UA 108BQ, belonged to King David Junior School in Ndejje, Makindye Division, Kampala.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver reportedly lost control of the bus as it returned from the educational tour, causing it to veer off the road, hit a large roadside boulder, and overturn.
The Uganda Police Force says investigations into the exact cause of the crash are ongoing.
@brayzmedia HAPPENING NOWAT KING DAVID’s JUNIOR SCHOOL, MOURNING THE DEATH OF PUPILS #kingdavidjuniorschool #ugandapolice #fyp ♬ original sound – Brayz Media Tv
Following the tragedy, the Ministry of Education and Sports has suspended all school educational trips pending investigations, as government agencies review additional measures to strengthen the safety of school transport across the country.
