At least 40 people have died and several others sustained serious injuries in a devastating road accident involving four vehicles on the Kampala-Gulu Highway early Wednesday morning.

According to Traffic Police, the crash occurred at around 12:15am on October 22, 2025, at Kitaleba Village near Asili Farm in Kiryandongo District.

The accident involved two Isuzu buses--registration numbers UBF 614X (Nile Star Coaches) and UAM 045V (Planet Company)--a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07), and a Tata lorry (UBK 647C).

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SP Michael Kananura, spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, said preliminary investigations indicate that the Nile Star bus, which was travelling from Kampala to Gulu, attempted to overtake the Tata lorry at the time of the crash.

Meanwhile, the Planet Company bus coming from the opposite direction was also trying to overtake the Toyota Surf, leading to a head-on collision between the two buses.

"One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times," Kananura said.

The impact left 40 people dead on the spot, while several others were rushed to Kiryandongo Hospital and nearby medical facilities.

Bodies of the deceased were taken to the hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations and identification.

Police described the scene as one of the worst traffic tragedies in recent years, warning motorists against dangerous overtaking, which remains a major cause of fatal road crashes in Uganda.

"As investigations continue, we strongly urge all motorists to exercise maximum caution on the roads, especially avoiding dangerous and careless overtaking," Kananura said.