Police in Kanungu District are investigating a tragic sand quarry accident that claimed the lives of two men and left one survivor in Katete Sub-county.
The incident occurred on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at around 10:00am at a sand quarry in Kanyamisinga Village, Nyakashojwa Parish. The matter was reported to Katete Police Station shortly after midday.
According to police, the victims had gone to load sand onto a tipper truck, registration number UBQ 884U, an Isuzu vehicle owned by one of the deceased.
During the loading process, a large mass of sand suddenly collapsed, burying the vehicle and the men. One person managed to escape and survived.
The deceased have been identified as Izobaryomwe Simon (30), a casual labourer, and Mbonigaba Umar (31), a driver and co-owner of the sand quarry. The survivor is Tumwebaze Junior (24), a casual labourer, all residents of Kanyamisinga Village.
Police swiftly responded to the scene following the report. A rescue team from Kanungu Central Police Station, led by the District Police Commander SP Azira Grace, was deployed.
The operation was reinforced by a wheel loader from the UPDF Engineering Brigade in Kanungu to support excavation efforts.
By evening, the body of Mbonigaba Umar had been retrieved. Efforts to recover the second body and the buried motor vehicle were set to resume on Sunday morning, with police noting the need for an additional excavator to speed up the operation.
Local leaders told police that the sand pit has been in use for more than 20 years and has previously been associated with multiple fatal accidents, raising concerns about safety at the site.
Police have since opened a case of rash and negligent act causing death at Katete Police Station as investigations continue.
The Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP Maate Elly, has urged operators and workers at sand quarries to observe safety guidelines to prevent similar tragedies.
