KAMPALA, Uganda: At least 20 children and one adult were killed when an elementary school bus crashed in the East African country of Uganda, police said Friday.
The bus crashed Thursday night in the Kapchorwa District in eastern Uganda while returning from an educational tour to the region’s Sipi Falls waterfalls, the Uganda Police Force said in a statement posted on X.
Police said survivors, including three adults and several children, were taken to local hospitals. Authorities did not immediately give an exact number of how many people were injured.
The bus belonged to the King David Junior School, an elementary school situated in the capital Kampala, police said.
The driver reportedly lost control of the bus, which veered off the road, struck a rock and overturned, according to the police statement, which added that the information was preliminary and the cause of the crash was under investigation.
A police photo showed the bus lying on its side with the entire roof ripped off and the seats exposed.
Road accidents are common in Uganda and are often blamed on poorly maintained vehicles, speeding, and the poor condition of many roads.