A speeding Gaaga Coaches bus has hit and killed an elephant in Murchison Falls National Park.
The incident happened on June 5, at about 11.49pm.
Witnesses say the bus – UAL 158Z – was heading to Kampala from Paidha when it hit the elephant at Total camp in Got Apwoyo Sub-county, Nwoya District, a few kilometres from the Pakwach Bridge.
“Seven people sustained injuries from the accident and are undergoing treatment at Pakwach Health Centre,” a witness said.
They are Dr Christine Mpora, Tibito David, Rwothongeyo Derrick, Muhammad Ssegirinya, Aweka Sandra, Oroma Francisca, and Ismail Ramathan.
The driver, Twaha Karim, is said to have steadied the bus after the accident and in the process sustained serious injuries.
Other Passengers continued with their journey to Kampala in a rescue bus.
The accident comes hot on the heels of an Elephant trench excavation in Akuridia village, Juma parish, Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam District by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in a bid to reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict caused by Elephants from Karuma Wildlife Reserve in Murchison Falls Conservation Area.
“A distance of 03Kms is being dug addition to the 2.5 more Kms being dug in Chepwor village Kiryandongo district using manual labour,” UWA said in a facebook post on Wednesday.
Murchison Falls National Park is the country’s largest park. Situated in the north Western part of Uganda – about 305 kilometers from Kampala – the park is home to about 76 mammal species and over 450 species of birds.
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