Another victim of Fido Dido building collapse dies

One of the people who sustained injuries after a church ceiling collapsed on congregants at Fido Dido building in Kampala has died as the toll on Tuesday rose to two.
Lorita Blessy Asimwe, a finalist at Uganda Christian University (UCU) is said to have died at Mulago national referral hospital where she and several others had been admitted following the accident.
 
“It is on a sad note that we announce the death of Asimwe Lorita Blessy, a final year student of Ba. Human Resource Management. She was one of the victims of the Fidodido building collapse yesterday. Lorita had gone for Lunch Hour Prayers and she was due to graduate in July, 2021,” the university tweeted on Tuesday.

Her death occurred hours after police on Monday said another woman only identified as Maama Naava, a resident of Nsambya in Kampala City had succumbed to injuries following the accident that left 18 others hospitalized.
It was mayhem, bleeding amid a cloud of dust as a ceiling collapsed on the congregants that humbled themselves before the Almighty Lord in the House of Rest on Kampala Road in Kampala City at around 12:40pm yesterday.
Mr Saddam Abdullah, a shopkeeper at New Tech Computer, which is situated at the entrance of House of Rest Auditorium where Pentecostal faithful use for prayers during lunch hour, said while they were having lunch, they heard the first  bang. 

“We thought police were responding to rioters then a second one hit that sent a powerful cloud of dust through the entrance and the street. Everyone took cover thinking that it was an explosion,” he said.
Mr Abdullah said people covered in dust, who were screaming for help, scampered for their lives while emerging from the auditorium entrance. 

“That is when we knew that the ceiling had caved on them. We entered the auditorium but many were trapped below the wire mesh and debris,” he said. 
Mr Rashid Muhindo, a first responder, said they lifted at least 15 people out of the building.   
“The wooden bars and cement blocks had hit many people. I saw many people couldn’t stand while others were trapped by the heavy wire mesh that held the ceiling. We tried to lift the debris, but it was so heavy,”  he said. 

The members of the business community around that street called the police, but it took the force more than 30 minutes to arrive. 
“We put the injured people on the street. The police ambulances were not arriving. A taxi operator saw the victims losing consciousness and stopped his colleague, who was driving a taxi. The taxi delivered them to medical centres,” another responder said. 
  
Ms Veronica Namanda, a renowned artiste, was one of the congregants, who were in the auditorium. Her colleague Hannington Bugingo visited her in hospital, but said she was mentally affected by the incident and didn’t want to talk about it now.   
Police Fire officer Godfrey Okobo said they suspect the age of the ceiling, which had not being renovated for years, led to the collapse. 

House of Rest neighbours said the worship team used to play loud music that could even penetrate through the sound proof materials in the auditorium. 
Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson of Kampala Metropolitan Police, said they have summoned the landlord and the managers of House of Rest to record statements. 
Mr Daniel Nuwabine, the spokesperson of Kampala Capital City Authority, said their actions will be determined by the police report.