EDITOR
At least two people have died following a tragic sand quarry collapse in Kanungu District, police have confirmed.
The incident occurred on Saturday, 4th January 2026, at around 10:00am in Kanyamisinga Village, Nyakashojwa Parish, Katete Sub-county.
According to police, the victims were loading sand onto a blue Isuzu tipper truck, registration number UBQ 884U, at a sand quarry when a huge mass of sand suddenly collapsed, burying the vehicle and three people.
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. Both were residents of Kanyamisinga Village and of Mukiga ethnicity.
A third person, Tumwebaze Junior (24), also a casual labourer from the same village, narrowly survived after managing to escape moments before the sand engulfed the truck.
Police say a report was registered at Katete Police Station under SD Ref: 07/04/01/2026, after which a rescue team from CPS Kanungu, led by Kanungu District Police Commander SP Azira Grace, responded to the scene.
To aid the rescue operation, a wheel loader from the UPDF Engineering Brigade in Kanungu was deployed to excavate the collapsed sand and retrieve the trapped victims and the vehicle.
By the evening of Saturday, only the body of Mbonigaba Umar had been recovered. Efforts to retrieve the second body and the buried vehicle are expected to resume today, Sunday, 5th January 2026. Police say an additional excavator is urgently needed to speed up the operation.
Police observations indicate that the deceased driver was among the owners of the sand quarry. Local leaders further revealed that sand mining has been ongoing at the site for over 20 years, and that about 18 people have reportedly lost their lives in similar incidents at the same quarry.
Police have warned the public against unsafe sand mining practices and say investigations into the incident are ongoing.
The statement was issued by ASP Maate Elly, the Police Public Relations Officer for Kigezi Region.
