At least 17 people died after a tanker truck carrying fuel exploded at a small trading center in western Uganda, police said on Monday.
The truck lost control and crashed into three other vehicles before bursting into flames, causing the parked vehicles to explode in Rubirizi district on Sunday, according to a statement from Uganda police.
Nine burned bodies were recovered from the scene and eight more people died in the hospital Monday, Ugandan police spokesman Fred Enanga said.
“The stream of liquid fire from the fuel also burnt about 25 small shops,” Uganda police said in the statement.
Authorities are still working to identify the most severely burned bodies. They are also calling on family members to come forward with identification as part of DNA profiling process for the victims.
The Uganda police have called for stricter penalties for drivers who violate traffic laws, adding that most road accidents in the country roads were caused by bad driving decisions.
Earlier in August, more than 60 people were burnt in a oil tanker explosion in neighboring Tanzania.