The death toll from the road crash involving pupils of King David Junior School at Kaserem along the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road has risen to 24 after three more pupils died while receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the accident.
As of Friday evening, 18 of the 24 bodies have been positively identified. Three unidentified bodies are being kept at Kapchorwa Hospital, while another three are at Mbale Hospital.
A total of 23 victims remain admitted at Kapchorwa Hospital, where they are receiving treatment. Meanwhile, all surviving pupils who did not require hospital admission have safely returned to Kampala aboard a Gateway Bus.
The driver of the bus involved in the crash has not yet been formally identified. However, he is believed to have sustained critical injuries and is reportedly among those receiving treatment at Mbale Hospital.
The school trip left Kampala at about 5:00 a.m. using two buses and two taxis, commonly known as drones. The other vehicles were not involved in the crash and safely returned to Kampala with all their occupants.
Earlier on Friday, the Minister of Education and Sports held an emergency meeting with key stakeholders and announced the temporary suspension of all school educational trips across the country.
The suspension is intended to allow authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into recent crashes involving school children, strengthen safety guidelines for school educational trips and carry out nationwide road safety sensitisation targeting schools, transport providers, teachers and other stakeholders.
It was also agreed that all school groups currently on educational trips should immediately report to the nearest police station. Where necessary, police officers will provide escorts to ensure the safe return of learners to their respective schools.