Lorry illegally ferrying logs worth millions kills two in Gulu

Two people have been killed and two others critically injured after a Kampala-bound trailer overturned in Gulu District.

The Truck carrying illegal logs worth Millions of Shillings was bound to Kampala at the time of the accident.

The accident happened from Oroko village, Medde Parish in Palaro Sub-County, about 70 kilometres north of Gulu town on Thursday morning. The single-cabin truck registration number UAM 235Q/167 UDR overturned at 2 a.m. on the rugged terrains of Palaro road.

The truck which was carrying illegal logs was travelling from Moyo district to Kampala but chose to reportedly dodge security checkpoints along Gulu-Nimule highway and sneak with the logs through Gulu town.  The deceased include the driver and his co-driver, whose identities are yet to be established.

Morris Olweny Korea, an eyewitness at the scene told URN that villagers in the area learned of the accident in the morning, alerted police in Lamwo who rushed to the scene and evacuated one of the survivors to Kitgum Government Hospital for treatment.

Olweny also explained that another survivor was trapped under the lorry and police personnel from Gulu and Lamwo districts backed by locals in the area took more than eight hours to save and rushed to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson divulged that details of those involved in the accident was still scanty and was waiting for a field report from traffic officers dispatched to the scene from Gulu Central Police Station.

The Palaro-Oroko-Palabek road connects Lamwo, Gulu, Amuru and South Sudan regions and is the key route used by illegal loggers ferrying prohibited forest products especially at night to Kampala while dodging security roadblocks.

Many Uganda furniture traders are involved in illegal logs business which is highly profited able as one tree can go between 100 to 200 USD at open Market.

additional reporting URN