KAMPALA — Twenty schoolchildren were killed Thursday night when a bus transporting them home from a field trip crashed in eastern Uganda, according to authorities.
In response to the tragedy, the Ugandan government announced Friday that all school excursions are now on hold indefinitely, as the disaster sparked widespread grief and a wave of online calls for stronger safety measures.
According to police, early investigations indicate the driver lost control of the vehicle, which then veered off the road and flipped after striking a large rock. The information was shared in a police post on X.
The bus belonged to King David Junior School, located in the capital city of Kampala. It was making its way back from an educational trip to Sipi Falls when it crashed at Chekwatit village in the Kapchorwa district, police said.
In addition to the 20 children killed, one adult also died in the crash. Three other adults and a number of children sustained injuries, officials confirmed.
Fatal road accidents occur frequently in Uganda. Experts commonly point to poorly maintained vehicles and inadequate street lighting as contributing factors.
The country experienced another devastating crash last October, when 46 people died on one of Uganda’s main highways connecting the capital to the northern city of Gulu.
A government communications agency announced Friday that Education Minister Chrysostom Muyingo had placed “a hold on all school trips and excursions, effective immediately and until further notice.”
