The death toll from the King David Junior School road crash in Kapchorwa District has risen to 24 after three more pupils died while undergoing treatment, Traffic Police has confirmed.
In an update issued on Friday evening, Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura said the additional deaths bring the total number of fatalities from the Kaserem crash along the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road to 24.
“As of this evening, 24 fatalities have been confirmed,” Kananura said.
According to the update, 18 of the deceased have so far been positively identified.
Three unidentified bodies remain at Kapchorwa Hospital, while another three bodies are at Mbale Hospital awaiting identification.
Police also said 23 victims remain admitted at Kapchorwa Hospital where they are receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
All surviving pupils who did not require admission have since been transported safely back to Kampala aboard a Gateway Bus.
The latest update comes as the country reels from yet another serious school transport accident.
On Friday evening, a coaster carrying Nalango students collided with a sugarcane truck near Busota Health Centre III in Kamuli District, leaving multiple students with severe injuries, including fractures, while several were reported to be in critical condition.
The Kamuli District Emergency Medical Services rescue team evacuated the injured to nearby health facilities, where emergency teams are continuing to stabilise and treat the victims.
Authorities had not yet confirmed the number of casualties by press time.
The back-to-back accidents have heightened concerns over the safety of school transport after a series of crashes involving learners in Kapchorwa, Mukono and Bugweri districts.
In response to the growing crisis, the government on Friday indefinitely suspended all school study tours across the country.
It also directed all schools that were already on educational trips to immediately report to the nearest police station for guidance and accountability before proceeding with their journeys.
The Ministries of Education and Sports, Works and Transport, and the Uganda Police Force have since stepped up efforts to strengthen enforcement of road safety regulations governing school transport.
Investigations into both the Kapchorwa and Kamuli crashes are ongoing.
