Police in Bugweri District have launched an investigation into a fatal crash in which four people died after a passenger-filled Toyota drone collided with a moving train at the Butongole Railway Crossing along the Mbale–Tirinyi–Iganga Road.
According to ASP Michael Kasadha, spokesperson for the Busoga East Regional Police, the collision occurred at about 2:50pm on Saturday when the vehicle, registration number UBN 282J, struck the train at the Busembatya crossing point.
Preliminary reports indicate the vehicle was travelling towards Mbale City when the yet-to-be-identified driver failed to notice the oncoming train.
“On reaching the railway crossing, the driver reportedly failed to observe the approaching train, resulting in a violent collision. The vehicle overturned several times on impact,” ASP Kasadha said.
Three passengers died on the spot, while a fourth succumbed to injuries upon arrival at Iganga Main Hospital. Several others were injured and are currently receiving treatment at the same facility.
Traffic officers documented the scene and transported the bodies to Iganga Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examination.
Police say the investigation will establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash, including the driver’s identity and whether mechanical failure, human error or recklessness contributed.
Authorities have urged motorists to exercise heightened caution at railway crossings, which remain among the most hazardous points on the region’s transport network.
“We implore motorists and other road users to always fully adhere to railway crossing signals,” ASP Kasadha stated.
The accident has renewed concerns about safety along major transport corridors in the Busoga sub-region, where road–rail intersections are frequently neglected.
The tragedy occurred just hours after another fatal incident in Bugweri, 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.