KAMPALA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan government on Sunday announced three days of national mourning after 22 people died in a road accident in the mid-western part of the country on Friday night.
Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda in statement said on the instruction of President Yoweri Museveni, the national mourning starts on Sunday and all flags on public buildings will fly at half-mast.
Rugunda said the government will contribute 5 million shillings (about 1,400 U.S. dollars) per victim to the families that lost their loved ones to assist in burial arrangements.
The government will also contribute 3 million shillings (835 dollars) per person to those who were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment.
Rugunda instructed the traffic police to step up vigilance on the roads, especially ensuring that vehicles that are not roadworthy are not on roads. Speed limits must also be observed.
A bus on Friday night rammed into a tractor and a beer truck leaving 19 people dead and several injured in Kiryandongo. Three more victims died in hospital bringing the death toll to 22, according to police.
Uganda registers at least 20,000 accidents with over 2,000 deaths each year, making it one of the countries with the highest road accident fatalities in the world, according to police figures.