Police in Bugweri District have launched investigations into a deadly crash in which four people were killed when a passenger-filled Toyota drone collided with a moving train at Butongole Railway Crossing along the Mbale-Tirinyi-Iganga Road.
ASP Kasadha Michael, spokesperson for the Busoga East Regional Police, said the Saturday afternoon crash occurred at around 2:50pm when the vehicle, registration number UBN 282J, rammed into the train at the crossing point in Busembatya.
Preliminary findings show the vehicle was heading towards Mbale City when the unidentified driver failed to recognise the approaching train.
‘On reaching the railway crossing, the driver reportedly failed to observe the approaching train, resulting in a violent collision. The vehicle overturned multiple times upon impact,’ Mr Kasadha said.
He said three people died instantly, while a fourth was confirmed dead on arrival at Iganga Main Hospital. Several other passengers sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Traffic police officers visited and documented the scene before transferring the bodies to Iganga Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examinations.
Police said investigations will determine the full circumstances of the crash, including the identity of the driver and whether mechanical failure or reckless driving contributed.
Authorities urged motorists to exercise extreme caution at railway crossings, an area long regarded as one of the region’s most hazardous points.
‘We implore motorists and other road users to always fully adhere to railway crossing signals,’ ASP Kasadha emphasized.
The incident renewed concerns about safety along major transport corridors in the Busoga sub-region, where railway and road intersections remain poorly observed.
The tragedy also came just hours after another fatal crash in Bugweri District, in which Sgt James Kirinde of Makuutu Police Station died in a road crash in Iganga District on Friday.
Sgt Kirinde had earlier escorted examination materials to Iganga Police Station.