At least 20 students and one adult were killed when a school bus carrying pupils on a field trip crashed in eastern Uganda on Thursday evening, according to local authorities.
Dozens of students and staff were injured in the crash, which occurred on Chekwatit Hill in Kapchorwa district.
Preliminary investigations point to a mechanical fault that caused the driver to lose control; the bus veered off the road, struck a large stone on the roadside, and overturned.
The accident took place at around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) at the village of Chekwatit in Kawowo area, while returning from a visit to the Sipi Falls tourist site.
Minister of Local Government Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara posted on X: “Sadly, 20 children and 1 adult, the founder and director Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord.”
Video footage shared by witnesses shows the wrecked bus and local residents rushing to help the injured.
Uganda records tens of thousands of road deaths each year, with speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and dangerous roads among the leading causes.
The crash follows a series of serious bus incidents involving children, raising renewed concern over the safety of school transport.
