This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
On August 19, 2019, a devastating fuel truck explosion occurred in the Kyambura trading centre, a mountainous area near the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda.
According to regional police spokesman Martial Tumusiime, the blast happened when a fuel truck lost control and collided with three other vehicles, resulting in multiple explosions that also burned down 25 small shops.
"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 Tumusiime.
Of the people rushed to the hospital, nine died as a result of their wounds, bringing the total death toll to 19.
The accident is a grim reminder of the dangers of fuel transportation in Uganda, where similar incidents have occurred in the past.
Just eight days prior, a fuel truck explosion in Tanzania left 95 people dead.
Uganda has seen its share of fuel truck accidents in recent years, including a 2002 incident in Rutoto where 70 people were killed when an oil truck rammed into a bus, and a 2013 explosion that killed 33 people after a fuel truck overturned.
