Africa-Press – Uganda. Insights into the passengers who perished aboard the ill-fated bus in Kamdini Town Council on Kampala-Gulu Highway on Thursday night are starting to emerge.
The grisly road crash occurred when the bus hurtled towards a stationary trailer truck. On board the overnight bus headed to Gulu from Kampala was a couple and their four-year-old son.
While the yet to be identified child survived death by a whisker, his mother died. The father was by press time in a critical condition.
The medical staff at St John XXIII Hospital-Aber in Oyam District told Sunday Monitor that the four-year-old boy survived, barely.
“[He] got his arm cut off and all of us thought that the child would not survive because we didn’t have blood in our blood bank,” Mr Eugene Odur, a human resource officer at the hospital, revealed.
We understand that one hospital staff member made a life-saving situation when they volunteered to donate blood.
The four-year-old is now in what Mr Odur describes as a stable condition. CT scan results of his father were due by press time, with the condition of the parent said to be touch-and-go.
The hospital’s staff at Aber had to push the envelope after 25 patients were evacuated from the accident scene. Five of the patients had died by press time.
Mr Odur told Sunday Monitor that almost everyone at the hospital—including the security guards—did all they could to “help stabilise the patients” that were wheeled into the medical facility.
There are conflicting reports about the number of people who died on the spot. While the hospital says 13 bodies were tallied on the scene, Superintendent of Police Patrick Jimmy Okema—the North Kyoga regional police spokesperson—put the number at a dozen.
One of those said to have died on the spot is Simon Peter Obwona. He took a selfie and posted it to his social media accounts before the ill-fated bus set off. Obwona, who was sporting an Arsenal away strip, had reportedly just been appointed to work at Centenary Bank branch in Kampala and was travelling back to his abode in Kitgum Municipality to pick his belongings.
His father—Mr Godfrey Toolit—is the LC3 chairperson of Kitgum Central Division.
Back at St John XXIII Hospital-Aber in Oyam District, Mr Odur told this newspaper that one of the two patients in a very critical condition was “being prepared for evacuation to Mulago Hospital.”
He said such was the challenge the medical facility dealt with that some patients had to be transferred from the emergency unit to the surgical ward.
“Even the surgical ward got full and other patients were taken to the medicine ward,” Mr Odur revealed.
Mr Okema said post-mortems had by press time been conducted on 14 corpses “whose relatives claimed and [were] handed over to them for burial.”
The North Kyoga regional police spokesperson added: “We have only three dead bodies remaining at Anyeke Health IV Centre, including the one who passed on last (Friday) night.”
The death count by Saturday morning stood at 18.
Below is the list of some of the deceased;
1. Simon Peter Obwona, 34, from Kitgum.
2. Richard Kumakech, 38, from Gulu.
3. Otto James, 35, from Kitgum
4. Prossy Aloyo, 39, from Gulu
5. Stacy Amaro Rwot, 9-month-old baby of Prossy Aloyo from Gulu.
6. Getu Akongo, 45, from Busia.
7. Tonny Ntesibe, 28, from Masaka.
8. Ndunkan Lakisa, 22, from Kitgumba Kiryandongo.
9. Ivan Ndungo Joseburd, 29, from Nyabogando Bwera in Kasese.
10. Ambrose Owiny, 20, from Adebe Kamdini.
11. Beatrice Abaja, 26, from Ober Entebbe Lira-City.
12. Ibrahim Fadulu, 29, from Iganga.
13. Deborah Ogwenge, 28, from Butaleja.
14. Bonny Obuki, 34, from Acekelele Oyam
Some of the survivors in hospital
1. Mary Lucy Akello, 44, from Kitgum.
2. Rose Auma, 47, from Kitgum.
3. Francis Oyo, 38, from Lamwo.
4. Caroline Akanya, 30, from Kitgum.
5. Nancy Alimo, 20, from Kitgum.
6. Morris Oluka Morris, 28, from Gulu.
7. Denis Acele, 43, from Kitgum.
8. David Okwera, 35, from Kitgum.
9. Patrick Okecha, 36, from Zombo.
10. Benson Anywar,55, from Pader.
11. Flavia Akello, 32, from Kitgum.
12. Albert Odur, 43,from Gulu.
13. Joseph Acaye, 30, from Gulu.
14. Beatrice Ayaa, 30, from Kitgum.
15. Kevin Agwech, 34, from Kitgum.
16. Christine Laker, 40, from Kitgum.
17. Rehema Sarah Nafuna, 27, from Mukono.
18. Proscovia Acen, 24, Kitgum.
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