Share

19 killed in Uganda fuel truck blast - police

Nineteen people died when a fuel truck barrelled into other vehicles in a busy town in western Uganda and exploded, police said on Monday.

The blast occurred on Sunday evening in the Kyambura trading centre, a mountainous area near the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

"Ten people died instantly when the fuel truck lost control and hit three other vehicles, leading to multiple explosions that also burned 25 small shops," said regional police spokesperson Martial Tumusiime.

"Of the people that were rushed to the hospital, nine of them have also died as a result of wounds," he added.

In 2002, 70 people were killed when an oil truck rammed into a bus in Rutoto, less than 50km from Kyambura.

And in 2013, 33 people died in an explosion after a fuel truck overturned - many having rushed to the scene to siphon fuel.

The accident in Uganda came eight days after a fuel truck exploded in Tanzania. The fireball engulfed a crowd thronging to collect petrol from the wrecked vehicle, leaving 95 dead.

GET THE NEWS at your fingertips and download the News24 app for Android here now. Get it for your iPhone here.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
64% - 361 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
36% - 199 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.06
+0.8%
Rand - Pound
23.74
+0.9%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.8%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.37
+0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+1.0%
Platinum
909.00
-0.4%
Palladium
985.50
-1.9%
Gold
2,320.40
+0.2%
Silver
27.21
+0.2%
Brent Crude
88.02
-0.5%
Top 40
67,907
-1.0%
All Share
73,854
-0.9%
Resource 10
61,010
+0.9%
Industrial 25
101,990
-1.9%
Financial 15
15,787
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE