Uganda suspends school trips after 20 pupils die in bus crash

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Uganda has temporarily halted all school trips after a bus carrying pupils on an educational tour crashed in the eastern Kapchorwa district on Thursday evening, killing at least 20 children and one adult. Dozens more people, including school staff, were injured. The pupils were from King David Junior School in Ndejje and were returning from a study visit, which local media said included Sipi Falls, a tourist destination.

According to the BBC, officials said early findings indicate the bus may have developed a mechanical problem before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill near Chekwatit village, an area local authorities associate with previous serious crashes. Police spokesman Michael Kananura said the vehicle left the road, hit a large roadside stone and overturned. The crash happened at around 20:00 local time, or 17:00 GMT.

Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo announced the suspension of school trips as a precaution while a full investigation is carried out, saying action was needed to protect children. Local Government Minister Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara identified the adult who died as Tadeo Ssekade, the school’s founder and director, in a post from the scene.

The BBC notes that Uganda records thousands of road deaths annually, with traffic authorities pointing to factors such as speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and hazardous roads. While road crashes are frequent, this incident stands out as one of the country’s deadliest involving children in recent years and comes amid renewed public concern over school transport safety after other serious bus accidents.