School Trip Turns Tragic as Uganda Bus Crash Claims 20 Children

(Scene of the accident. Photo Credit: Punch News)

A bus carrying schoolchildren returning from a trip veered off the road in Uganda, killing 20 children and one adult, police disclosed on Friday.

Uganda, known for its poor road safety record, frequently records bus and truck accidents along its poorly maintained highways.

According to preliminary findings by the police, the bus, belonging to King David Junior School in Kampala, was returning from a school trip to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District when the incident occurred.

Police explained that the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, hit a large stone by the roadside, and overturned.

The crash claimed the lives of one adult male and 20 pupils, while three adult males and several children sustained injuries, police said in a statement shared online.

Authorities also released an image showing the badly wrecked, overturned bus, noting that investigations were ongoing while several of the injured continued receiving treatment in hospital.

Fatal bus accidents remain fairly common in Uganda. In October, a collision between two buses on a major highway claimed at least 46 lives. A 2024 report indicated the country recorded 4,434 fatal collisions and 5,144 deaths that year.