26 UPDF students attached to the Magmaga cantonment who are undergoing tourism and hospitality training, were on Wednesday evening involved in a road accident at William junction in Kakira town council, Jinja district, along the Jinja-Iganga highway.
Nine were critically injured and briefly managed at the Jinja regional referral hospital’s emergency unit, before being taken to Bombo military hospital for specialized treatment. The remaining 17 survived with minor injuries and are receiving treatment at Magamaga health center III.
It is reported that a transnational trailer, registration number KDH 315A, which was carrying coils from Iganga direction, hit the UPDF lorry with registration number H4DF 2700, carrying students who were coming from their internship training at Jinj’a Crested Crane Hotel, heading back to Magamaga military barracks in Mayuge district.
The transnational trailer’s heavy container load hit the UPDF lorry, dragged it off the road, leaving all the students injured.
UPDF’s deputy spokesperson, Deo Akiki says that, the situation is under control and health workers are doing their best to ensure complete recovery of all the casualties.
Othman Nayenga, a Red Cross emergency response team leader says that members of the general public teamed with rescue teams and they were supportive during the process of moving casualties from the accident scene, which eased their efforts of according them timely first aid.
The Kiira regional police spokesperson, James Mubi says that, the accident resulted from over speeding and the trailer driver, Juma Masudi, is currently detained at Kiira East central police station, awaiting further prosecution.
Mubi further warned road users to desist from what he termed as deliberate tendencies to abuse set traffic guidelines, which is the main cause of road accidents along the highways.
The deputy principal of Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute-UHTTI, Moses Kaneene says that, they have a partnership with UPDF aimed at fostering the skilling of their tourism students with modern hospitality skills and each student is offered internship opportunity of 30 days per semester.
Kaneene notes that, the injured students were left with 20 days to finalize this semester’s internship training.URN
