KAPCHORWA, Uganda — At least 23 pupils from King David Junior School, Ndejje, have reportedly died and several others were injured after a school bus crashed while transporting learners to Sipi Falls in eastern Uganda.
The pupils were travelling on an educational trip when the bus was involved in the fatal accident at Chekwatit Village in Kapchorwa District, according to preliminary reports.
The injured were rushed to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, where emergency medical teams continued treating survivors through the night.
Uganda’s Minister for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, and State Minister for Labour Simon Mulongo travelled to the accident scene in Bulambuli District during the early hours of Friday to oversee the emergency response.
At about 3:30 a.m., the ministers inspected the crash site, where the wreckage of the school bus remained as rescue and recovery operations continued.
Barugahara later visited Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, where he joined medical personnel attending to injured pupils and monitoring the condition of survivors.
Authorities said the bus was also carrying the school’s director at the time of the accident.
The exact cause of the crash has not yet been established, and investigations are underway.
Police and emergency responders continue working to account for all passengers as officials verify the identities of those who died and notify their families.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves across Uganda, with messages of condolence pouring in as the country mourns one of its deadliest recent school transport accidents.