10 killed in Uganda after fuel tanker explodes: Police

The explosion happened on Sunday after a fuel tanker lost control and rammed two commuter taxis and a saloon car, 10 people were killed.

Ugandan police say 10 people have been killed in an explosion following an accident involving a fuel tanker in western Uganda.

Lethal traffic accidents frequently happen in western Uganda, speeding drivers blamed. (Representational image)

Police said in a statement Monday that the explosion happened on Sunday after a fuel tanker lost control and rammed two commuter taxis and a saloon car. The statement said that “three smaller secondary explosions” of vehicles parked nearby followed, and several shops also caught fire.

Lethal traffic accidents frequently happen in the region, where roads are often narrow and potholed. Ugandan police usually blame motor accidents on speeding drivers.

Accidents involving fuel tankers are especially dangerous as sometimes people gather around the damaged vehicles to scoop fuel into plastic cans.

Scores were killed in Tanzania earlier in August when a damaged fuel tanker exploded as people swarmed around it.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)