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Road accident in central Uganda leaves 17 people dead, several injured

Xinhua, July 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

A road accident in the central Ugandan district of Mpigi on Saturday killed 17 people and left several others injured, a police spokesperson said.

Polly Namaye, deputy police spokesperson told Xinhua by telephone that the grisly incident involved four cars.

"I can confirm that 17 people died on the spot. Some 12 people were injured and rushed to Mpigi health center for emergency treatment," Namaye said.

She said preliminary investigations into the cause of the accident indicate that it was due to reckless driving.

"The police have launched investigations into the cause of the accident and we shall come up with a full report," she said.

Local television station, NTV put the figure at 19 saying that 17 died on spot while the other two died on their way to hospital. They quoted a traffic officer at the scene.

According to the World Health Organization's road safety assessments, Uganda has one of the highest accident rates in the world, with 19,870 accidents in 2012 and 18,368 in 2013.

Police records show that most accidents are due to speeding and reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and use of vehicles in poor mechanical condition. Endit