Uganda school bus crash claims lives of 20 children, adult

Twenty children and one adult were killed after a bus carrying schoolchildren returning from a field trip crashed in eastern Uganda, police said.

Three other adults and several children were injured in the accident, according to the police press office, Caliber.Az reports. 

. @M_Kananura "We wish to confirm that, following the fatal road traffic crash that occurred yesterday evening at Chekwatit Village, Kimawa Parish, Kawowo Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, a total of 21 people, comprising 20 pupils and one adult, have so far been confirmed dead.… pic.twitter.com/MW9ACBwZYu

— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) July 17, 2026

The bus was carrying students from King David Primary School in Kampala after a trip to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa district. Preliminary information indicated that the driver lost control of the vehicle at around 9 p.m. Baku time near the village of Chekwati.

The bus reportedly struck a large rock before overturning.

Police released a photograph showing the heavily damaged vehicle lying on its side.

The injured were taken to Kapchorwa General Hospital and the regional hospital in Mbale, according to the authorities.

Police said an investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing. The driver’s identity had not yet been established.

By Sabina Mammadli