At least 20 schoolchildren and one adult were killed after a school bus carrying pupils on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda, police said on Friday, in one of the country's deadliest road accidents involving children in recent years.

The bus, operated by King David Junior School in Ndejje, near Kampala, was returning from a trip to Sipi Falls when it crashed at Chekwatit Hill in Kapchorwa District on Thursday evening.

Preliminary police investigations indicate the bus suffered a mechanical failure before the driver lost control. The vehicle veered off the road, struck a large roadside rock and overturned.

Police said 20 pupils and one adult, identified by government officials as the school's founder and director, Tadeo Ssekade, were killed. Three adults and several children were injured and remain hospitalized as authorities continue investigating the cause of the crash.

Videos shared on social media showed the bus overturned and extensively damaged as local residents rushed to rescue survivors. The tragedy has renewed concerns over road safety in Uganda, where fatal crashes remain common.

According to Uganda Police,26,044 crashes were recorded in 2025, including 4,602 fatal accidents that claimed more than 5,300 lives. Authorities attribute more than 40% of the crashes to reckless driving, including speeding, dangerous overtaking and tailgating.

The latest accident has intensified calls for wider use of Uganda's Electronic Penalty System, which uses automated cameras to detect traffic violations and strengthen road safety enforcement.