add content hereThe death toll from a fuel tanker explosion near Kampala, Uganda, has risen to 24.
The government confirmed the increased count in a statement released on Sunday.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday in Kigogwa, about 25 kilometers north of the capital.
Communications Minister Godfrey Kabbyanga described the incident as a “devastating accident.”
Initially, 11 people died at the scene, according to Kabbyanga.
Thirteen additional victims succumbed to their injuries in Kiruddu and Bombo military hospitals.
“Some of the dead were burnt beyond recognition,” Kabbyanga explained. Police are now identifying the deceased through DNA testing.
The tanker was en route to Gulu, approximately 650 kilometers away.
It overturned and burst into flames while traveling.
Authorities have reported that the driver of the tanker remains at large.
Several injured individuals are still receiving treatment in local hospitals.
This tragic incident follows a similar fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria, which killed over 170 people on October 15.
Such disasters have become a recurrent problem in Uganda.
In August 2019, a fuel truck crash in Kyambura resulted in 19 deaths. A more severe incident in 2002 killed 70 people when an oil truck collided with a bus.
Furthermore, 33 people died in Kampala after a fuel truck overturned in 2013. These accidents often occur as people rush to steal fuel from damaged tankers.
On Saturday, two additional tankers overturned on a road connecting Uganda and Rwanda. One collided with a commercial truck, killing the driver and assistant. The other caught fire but did not result in casualties.
