A devastating School Bus Crash claimed the lives of 21 people on Thursday evening after a bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School overturned in Kapchorwa District, eastern Uganda.

Uganda Police Force said 20 pupils and one adult male were killed when the vehicle lost control while returning from an educational trip to Sipi Falls on 16 July 2026.

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According to preliminary police findings, the driver lost control of the bus at Chekwatit Village in Kawowo Sub-county. The vehicle veered off the road, struck a large roadside rock and overturned.

Several children and adults were injured and taken to Kaserem Health Centre IV, Kapchorwa General Hospital and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for treatment as emergency crews continued rescue operations.

Uganda Police Force said in a statement: “The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned.”

The statement added: “The crash claimed the lives of one adult male and 20 pupils, while three adult males and several juveniles sustained injuries.”

Police released photographs showing the bus extensively damaged after the rollover, while investigators worked to establish the precise cause of the collision. Authorities said mechanical inspections and further inquiries remain under way.

The tragedy has renewed concern over road safety in Uganda, where fatal crashes involving buses and heavy vehicles occur with alarming frequency.

The country recorded 4,434 fatal road collisions and 5,144 road deaths in 2024, according to official figures, with speeding, dangerous driving and poor road conditions continuing to contribute significantly to serious accidents.

The latest Crash follows several fatal road incidents in recent months, including a highway collision that killed at least 14 people earlier in July and a major bus crash in October 2025 that claimed dozens of lives.

Those disasters intensified calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, improved vehicle inspections and better road infrastructure across the country.

As families await the identification of victims and schools mourn the loss of young lives, the accident stands as a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of Uganda’s persistent road safety challenges.