3 killed, 4 injured when van collides with elephant in Uganda

Three people were killed and four others were injured when a passenger van struck an elephant in a national park in Uganda, according to police.

The crash happened at about 8 p.m. on Sunday along a road inside Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda, according to the Uganda Police Force.

Police said the Toyota Hiace was carrying seven people from the city of Arua to Uganda’s capital of Kampala when the driver hit a crossing elephant and lost control of the vehicle. Three occupants died at the scene, while four others, including the driver, were injured.

The injured victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment before being transferred to Kampala for further medical care, according to police.

The Uganda Revenue Authority said two of its employees, Robert Lumanyika Wamala and Moses Adola, were among those killed. The agency said the group was returning to Kampala after official duty in Arua.

Police urged motorists to use “extreme caution” while driving through national parks and wildlife-protected areas, especially at night, and to follow speed limits to avoid similar crashes.