At least 20 pupils and the founder of King David Junior School, Tadeo Ssekade, were killed when a school bus collided with a large stone and overturned on Chekwatit Hill near Kapchorwa, eastern Uganda, on Thursday evening.
The bus was returning from a field trip that had included a visit to Sipi Falls. Residents who saw the vehicle in distress rushed to assist the injured children.
Preliminary investigations suggest a mechanical fault caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Police reported the bus leapt off the road and rolled over after striking the stone.
In addition to the fatalities, dozens of passengers and staff were wounded, with emergency services on the scene for many hours.
Uganda reports thousands of road deaths each year, citing speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and dangerous roads as leading causes. The accident has intensified scrutiny of school transport safety following a string of recent incidents.
