![Bus from Bebela Coach bus. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/438766624_122094506906290765_7515016194148405049_n.jpg?resize=1000%2C611&quality=89&ssl=1)
Several eyewitnesses traveling from Kampala to Juba told Sudans Post they initially mistook the smoke from a distance for an attack by highway robbers. However, as they approached, they saw people calling for help.
“We were coming from Arua and saw the fire from a distance. We first thought it might be an attack, which is common from highway robbers. But a few minutes later, someone was shouting ‘fire, fire,’” one eyewitness said.
“We drove towards the bus and found that the cause of the incident was just fire. Thankfully, no one was injured as they were able to escape the flames,” they added.
Nyanjur James, a passenger on the bus travelling to Kampala, recounted how he and the other passengers managed to escape the fire. He explained that once the smoke became visible, panic spread among the passengers.
However, they quickly realized the fire was coming from the bus’s wheels.
“As soon as the smoke turned to flames, we all rushed out of the bus. It was chaotic, but everyone was able to escape in time before the fire got worse,” she said.
He praised the quick reactions of the passengers, noting that despite the frightening situation, no one was injured as they managed to evacuate safely.
Incidents such as fires or attacks on vehicles along the Juba-Nimule highway are not uncommon in South Sudan.
A few months ago, a bus traveling from Juba to Kampala was attacked along the same route, resulting in several civilian casualties.
The government and opposition groups in the central Equatoria State region have exchanged accusations over responsibility for such incidents.
While the government blames rebels for killing civilians, the rebels accuse the government of staging attacks to tarnish the opposition’s image in the eyes of the South Sudanese public.
