Police May Not Recover Karuma Bridge Accident Victims’s Bodies Due To High Water Volumes

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in Uganda news April 27, 2021

The police is giving up all hopes of finding the victims of a fuel tanker that plunged into river Nile at Karuma bridge in Nwoya district.

The reason police gave is because of the rapidly increasing volumes of water flow. This is due to the heavy rains the area is experiencing.

The fuel truck was on its return journey from delivering fuel in Masindi when the accident happened. The driver of the truck Alex Ogwal and Howard Obaro, a pump attendant attached to Shine Energy petrol station in Lira city plunged into the river when their tanker lost control. Its braking system apparently malfunctioned.

Speaking to journalists at the Northern Uganda Media Club on Monday, Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River Region police public relations officer revealed that rescue efforts by the marine experts have waned.

It is said that the director of Fire and Rescue Services, Joseph Mugisa, visited the bridge on Monday. He went to study the circumstances under which marines would begin the search.

However, he said it is too risky for the rescue team to dive into the rapid falls to locate the car and its occupants.

What the police say;

Police recommended Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to consider major fixes at the bridge. And also consider installing reflectors and proper lighting at the bridge.

Allan Ssempebwa, the UNRA media relations manager said he needed more time to get the update of what exactly happened.

He will also ascertain what the authority will decide. The Nwoya Police Station recorded a statement of the accident.

It is the latest of a series of accidents along Uganda’s most dangerous bridge constructed in the 1960s. And according to the police, this case becomes the 19th to fall into the river Nile since 2011 without leaving a single trace.

Several oral testimonies from travellers and records from police show that at least 20 people have perished at Karuma bridge.

This is after the different vehicles they were travelling in plunged into the rapid falls since 2000.

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