Wakiso, Uganda | Thomas Akugizibwe, a 20-year-old shop attendant from Kigoogwa, is recovering from shock after narrowly escaping death in a fuel tank explosion that occurred earlier this week.
On Tuesday, a fuel tanker with registration number UAM 292Q overturned in Kigoogwa town while en route from Kampala to Gulu. Akugizibwe, who works in a shop located less than 50 feet from the accident site, was one of the first to reach the scene.
He recounts that he rushed to the tanker just five minutes after it overturned and began scooping fuel, despite warnings from the driver. “We ignored the warning because this was the third fuel tanker to overturn in the area, and there had been no explosions in previous incidents,” he explained.
After initially taking a jerrycan of leaking petrol for storage, Akugizibwe returned with a basin only to find that the crowd scooping fuel had grown. He was forced to wait in line for his turn.
Just minutes later, the tanker exploded, knocking him to the ground and igniting a fire that engulfed those still gathering fuel. Akugizibwe sustained minor injuries and was taken to Seroka Medical Center for treatment.
He is now grappling with the trauma of witnessing his friends perish in the blaze. "I still can't believe what happened. It's haunting to see people I knew burn to ashes," he said.
The explosion led to a massive fire, with fuel spilling onto the ground and spreading through nearby trenches. The flames engulfed many people who had gathered around the tanker, as well as those inside nearby houses.
According to Patrick Onyango, spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, the tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 17 people, with 21 others hospitalized with severe injuries at Kiruddu Hospital. The police are currently holding ten bodies, severely burned and unrecognizable, at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
As of now, the burnt fuel truck remains at the scene, and the driver has not yet been located.
