At least 30 people were killed and at least 20 more injured when a fuel tanker exploded on a highway in Uganda, a major transit route for fuel heading from Kenya to land-locked east African states, police report.
The truck exploded on the outskirts of the capital Kampala on 29 June after it collided with a car. Prior to the explosion, people nearby, mostly motorcyclists, crowded round trying siphon fuel from the tanker, a police spokesman said.
President Yoweri Museveni sent condolences and said he was monitoring the work of police and medical workers.
Musa Ecweru, the Ugandan minister for disaster preparedness, described the incident as an avoidable “calamity,” saying it was unfortunate that some people had failed to learn from past mistakes.
“We have always told our people to stay away from trucks that involve inflammable products such as petrol,” Ecweru said. “We thought they would learn from the lessons of the past.”
In 2001, a similar accident took place on a highway from Kampala to the western region, killing nearly 40. Nearly all the victims were burnt beyond recognition.
