Uganda fuel truck explosion kills at least 10

A fuel truck ran out of control and exploded into flames near the Ugandan capital on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people, a local official told AFP.

The disaster occurred on a highway in the town of Kigogwa, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Kampala.

“The fuel tanker lost control and overturned,” said Charles Lwanga, the resident district commissioner for the area.

“This is a busy area, and people nearby came to siphon fuel from the tanker, but it exploded, killing at least 10 people and injuring several others,” he added.

“Investigations are under way. Rescue services and emergency responders are on the scene, and the fire prevention service from the police has controlled the fire.”

The disaster occurred just days after a fuel tanker exploded in northern Nigeria on October 15, killing more than 170 people.

Ambulances rushed to the scene in Kigogwa to take the injured to hospital, Lwanga told reporters at the scene, adding that firefighters had prevented the flames from reaching a nearby petrol station.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Patrick Onyango said in a statement on X that the fuel tanker overturned and caught fire at 3 pm (1200 GMT).

“A multi-agency response team swiftly responded,” he added.

The town lies on the road between Kampala and Bombo, where the Uganda Land Forces have their headquarters.

In August 2019, 19 people died when a fuel truck barreled into other vehicles in the busy town of Kyambura in western Uganda and exploded.

In 2002, 70 people were killed when an oil truck rammed into a bus in Rutoto, less than 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Kyambura.

In 2013, 33 people died in an explosion after a fuel truck overturned in Kampala.