Ex-minister loses five family members in road accident

Dar es Salaam. Former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Gregory Teu has lost five members of his family in a road accident, which occurred in Masaka on Sunday night.

The accident, which occurred along the Kampala-Masaka Road, a gateway to Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, involved a minibus that crashed head-on with a truck.

Speaking to The Citizen during a telephone interview from Kampala, Tanzanian High Commissioner to Uganda Grace Mgovano confirmed that some of the deceased were from the family of the former minister.

“We are making a follow-up on the proceeding, the deceased were coming from a wedding in Uganda and they were in a private car, which might also be their own,” she said.

Mr Teu’s family members, who died in the accident are Sakazi Teu, Mazengo George Teu, Alfred Teu, Esther Teu and Rehema Teu.

Following the accident, President John Magufuli sent his condolences to Mr Teu and his family.

“I am extremely shocked and saddened by reports of the loss of this large number of people, my sympathy to the family of Mr Gregory Teu for the loss, to the family members, and all relatives, who have been affected by the incident,” he said.

He added: “I ask God to rest in peace the deceased people and I also wish the survivors, who have been hospitalised in Uganda, a quick recovery and get back home stronger.”

Dr Magufuli further urged all family members to be patient in this difficult time after the loss of their beloved relatives.

At least 13 people have been confirmed dead and eight others critically injured in a car accident along Kampala-Masaka Road.

The accident occured at night at Lubanda trading centre, about 80 metres from the operation Fika Salama traffic police check point near River Katonga Bridge in Mpigi District.

Twelve of the deceased were relatives and Tanzanian nationals, who were coming from a wedding party of their daughter, Dr Annette Ibingira, and her husband Dr Treasurer Ibingira at Kampala Parents’ School.

Eyewitnesses told our reporter that the accident occured, when one of the tyres of the Fuso truck registration No UAH 970P burst and it rammed into the Tanzanian bound Coaster (registration No T540 DLC).

Katonga Region Police publicist Philip Mukasa said all involved in the accident were travelling in the coaster.

The injured were taken to Nkozi Hospital and Double Cure Clinic, but later referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to Gombe Hospital for postmortem.