Traffic Returns on Key Uganda Road After Fuel Fire.
A fuel truck fire blocked the Kampala-Mityana road in Uganda early Saturday morning. Fire teams put out the flames near Kiwawu Tea Estate, letting cars pass again.
The fire made half the road unsafe. Police guided drivers around the danger area during the crisis.
"A fuel truck caught fire this morning on the Mityana-Kampala road near Kiwawu Tea Estate," said traffic police leader ASP Michael Kananura. "The fire blocked part of the road."
Police teams worked at the site as fire crews fought the flames. Officers asked drivers to wait and follow their signs. Later, Kananura said the fire was out and the road safe for travel.
More such fires have hurt Uganda before. In 2013, a fuel truck turned over in Namungoona, near Kampala. The fire killed more than 30 people who came to take leaking fuel. Many others had bad burns. Some died later in hospitals.
In 2016, a fuel truck hit a bus in Kamdini, in north Uganda. The crash made a fire that killed several people.
The latest fire at Kiwawu did not hurt anyone, but it shows that the danger of fuel truck crashes remains high. Police keep telling people to stay away from crashes with harmful materials, as these sites can burst into flames at any time.
A fuel truck fire blocked the Kampala-Mityana road in Uganda early Saturday morning. Fire teams put out the flames near Kiwawu Tea Estate, letting cars pass again.
The fire made half the road unsafe. Police guided drivers around the danger area during the crisis.
"A fuel truck caught fire this morning on the Mityana-Kampala road near Kiwawu Tea Estate," said traffic police leader ASP Michael Kananura. "The fire blocked part of the road."
Police teams worked at the site as fire crews fought the flames. Officers asked drivers to wait and follow their signs. Later, Kananura said the fire was out and the road safe for travel.
A Growing Danger
This event adds to Uganda's past fuel truck fires. Last October, a truck turned over and burned in Kigogwa Town on the Kampala-Bombo road. The fire killed 11 people, including two children. The truck, marked UAM 292Q, had been going from Kampala to Gulu. Many who tried to take fuel from the crash died in the fire.More such fires have hurt Uganda before. In 2013, a fuel truck turned over in Namungoona, near Kampala. The fire killed more than 30 people who came to take leaking fuel. Many others had bad burns. Some died later in hospitals.
In 2016, a fuel truck hit a bus in Kamdini, in north Uganda. The crash made a fire that killed several people.
The latest fire at Kiwawu did not hurt anyone, but it shows that the danger of fuel truck crashes remains high. Police keep telling people to stay away from crashes with harmful materials, as these sites can burst into flames at any time.
