On the night of Wednesday, October 18, 2023, a tragic accident occurred in the Murchison Falls National Park, along the Masindi-Pakwach road in Masindi District. The incident, which unfolded around 10 pm, resulted in the loss of six lives and left two individuals injured.
The accident involved an Isuzu Truck, transporting eight people and construction materials on a journey from Kampala to Pakwach. Unfortunately, six of the occupants, including the driver, lost their lives at the scene of the accident. The victims have been identified as Vincent Odoch, 29, the driver, Oscar Nyankoli, 23, a resident of Lira District, Aron Akandwanaho, 24, hailing from Rukiiga District, Muhammed Swaleh, 23, and Constance Bizimana, 24. The identity of the sixth victim remains unknown.
Two survivors, Emmanuel Muhuruzi and an individual identified only as Otim, sustained critical injuries and were immediately transported to Mulago National Referral Hospital for specialized medical care.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to the mortuary at Masindi General Hospital, where postmortem examinations will be conducted.
Mr. Julius Hakiza, the police spokesperson for the Albertine region, revealed that preliminary investigations by the police suggest that the accident was a result of a mechanical problem with the vehicle. He further explained that due to the remote location of the accident within the confines of Murchison National Park, it took time for the police to receive information about the incident and to rescue the survivors.
“By the time our officers arrived at the accident scene, six people had lost their lives but managed to rescue two survivors and rushed them to the hospital for medical treatment,” Mr. Hakiza stated.
Initially, the survivors were taken to Masindi General Hospital and later transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital to receive the specialized attention they required.
