Kampala — The main route from Kasese to the eastern DR Congo has been cut off after the bridge across River Lhubiriha at Mpondwe collapsed yesterday, report Josephine Maseruka and John Nzinjah.

The bridge caved in as a trailer loaded with timber crossed from the DR Congo into Uganda, according to the transport minister John Nasasira.

A 13 year-old-boy, Jacob Masereka, who was drawing water from the river, was injured and rushed to Kagando Hospital.

The whereabouts of the trailer's occupants were not known by press time.

Nasasira said the ministry's staff had already been dispatched to assess the damage.

"We shall remove the trailer tomorrow and quickly construct a temporary bridge after assessing the damage."