Karuma, Uganda: Three Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) staff members have died in a tragic road incident after the vehicle they were travelling in reportedly collided with an elephant along the Gulu-Kampala Highway near Karuma on Sunday evening.
The accident occurred near Murchison Falls National Park, a stretch long known for wildlife crossings, especially elephants moving between sections of the conservation area.
According to preliminary reports, the URA officials were travelling in a white passenger van when an elephant suddenly crossed onto the highway and was hit by the vehicle.
Witnesses said the injured elephant became aggressive moments after the collision, charging at the van before overturning it and trapping occupants inside.
Videos circulating from the scene showed the badly wrecked van lying overturned by the roadside as residents and motorists attempted rescue efforts.
Among the deceased was Robert Wamala Lumanyika, a URA tax educator widely recognised for spearheading public tax awareness and taxpayer education campaigns across Uganda.
The identities of the other deceased officials had not yet been officially released by Monday morning.
The incident has shocked both the tax body and members of the public, with many describing the circumstances surrounding the deaths as highly unusual and tragic.
By press time, neither Uganda Police nor URA had issued an official statement regarding the crash or confirmed the exact number of casualties and survivors.
The Karuma-Murchison highway section has previously raised safety concerns due to wildlife movement across the road, particularly during evening hours.
Authorities are expected to launch investigations into the incident as concerns continue to grow over road safety within wildlife-protected zones.
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