A tragic road crash on the Karuma-Pakwach highway has resulted in the death of one person, with 12 others sustaining injuries. The accident occurred when a bus enroute from Kampala to Yumbe district collided with a stray elephant before crashing into a ditch. The incident took place within Murchison Falls National Game Park in Nwoya district, approximately eight kilometers from the Karuma junction.

The Isuzu bus, registered as UBB 584K and belonging to the Baby Coach Company, struck the elephant at around 7:20 pm on Tuesday. The driver attempted to avoid a herd of elephants, but in the process, one of the elephants was hit, causing the bus to veer into a ditch.

Denis Tokuru, 25, tragically lost his life in the accident. He died on the scene. Twelve other passengers on the bus sustained injuries and were identified as John Matovu, Najib Kivumbi, Morris Bayo, William Oroch, Hellen Ayikoru, Margaret Nyuta, Charity Onyungrwo, Santos Komakech, Jude Komakeck, Paska Achieng, Doreen Munguchi, and Razak Abdallah.

Traffic police arrived at the scene of the accident and arranged for the injured passengers to be transported to RG Hospital Karuma and nearby clinics for medical treatment. The body of the deceased, Denis Tokuru, remained under the bus at the accident site, awaiting a heavy-duty tow truck to lift the vehicle and recover the body.

The road crash incident has been officially recorded at Nwoya Central Police Station under the reference TAR 584/2023.

William W Kagoro, the Warden Community Conservation affiliated with Murchison Falls National Game Park, reported that a team of rangers has been dispatched to track and monitor the injured elephant involved in the collision.