One man died, and another was seriously injured on Tuesday afternoon after they were electrocuted while pruning a neem tree entangled in live power lines in Matany town council, Napak district.
The deceased has been identified as Teko, a resident of Iriiri sub-county. His colleague, whose identity had not been immediately established, sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Matany hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred at around 1:00 p.m. The two men had reportedly been contracted by Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) to trim tree branches that had grown into power lines.
According to an eyewitness, Daniel Aleper, the accident happened when a panga came into contact with exposed wires, triggering sparks.
“The colleague was the first to notice the wires sparking, but by the time he warned Teko, it was already too late,” Aleper said.
He added that the injured man jumped from the tree and fell unconscious, while Teko became trapped in the branches.
“We were shocked to see Teko dangling from the tree while his colleague lay unconscious on the ground,” he said.
Another resident, Becky Lokawa, said they rushed to the scene but found Teko’s body still hanging in the tree. Police arrived about an hour later and sealed off the area.
Mt. Moroto regional police spokesperson, Mike Longole, confirmed the incident, saying a detailed report was still being compiled by officers at the scene. Efforts to obtain a comment from UEDCL management were unsuccessful, as calls to known contacts went unanswered.
