KAMPALA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and seven others critically injured in a Thursday road accident in the eastern Ugandan district of Ngora, a police spokesperson said.
Michael Odongo, East Kyoga regional police spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that the fatal accident occurred after the driver of the passenger commuter taxis lost control and overturned three times following a tire burst at Mukura, along Soroti-Mbale Highway.
The commuter taxi was traveling from the eastern town of Mbale to Soroti town.
"The driver of the taxi was overspeeding. When the vehicle got a tyre burst he couldn't control the vehicle and overturned three times," said Odongo.
The police spokesperson said the critically injured were rushed to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital and the remains of the deceased to Soroti hospital mortuary.
The police attribute the high rate of road accidents in the country to reckless driving, overspeeding, drink driving and overloading.
Uganda registers about 20,000 accidents each year, with some 2,000 deaths, making it one of the countries with the highest traffic death rates, according to police statistics. Enditem
