By Daily Monitor

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Thirty people were injured following an accident in an underground access duct of Karuma Hydropower Dam which is under construction in Uganda.

The accident occured on Thursday at about 7pm local time when a truck that was transporting nightshift construction workers hit a wall after its breaks failed and overturned inside the tunnel.

"The accident was not a result of structural collapse; it was a motor accident," Mr Simon Kayate, the spokesman of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited said.

He said the injured workers were evacuated to hospitals in Gulu.

"The accident was regrettable. Thankfully, nobody died in the accident. Everything is being done to support the injured who are currently in hospital,” he said.

The dam which has been under construction since December 2013, is near completion. It is expected to produce 600MW.

The $1.7 billion project is funded by Exim Bank of China and the government of Uganda at 85 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

The dam is being constructed by Sinohydro, a Chinese firm.

*Story updated and corrected. An earlier story indicated that three people had died.