Eight injured in steel mills blast

Eight casual laborers attached to the Iganga based Tembo Steel Mills are nursing serious injuries which they sustained from an explosion at the factory.

The victims are Ibrahim Mwanja, Amina Nakagolo, Wilfred Onyango, Geoffrey Egesa, Isaac Kisira, Dennis Mweyongera, Koren Namukwaya and Zakayo Ivurabe. They sustained burns on their bodies and were rushed to Mercy Health Centre where they are currently receiving treatment.

Ibrahim Mwanja, one of the victims says the explosion occurred minutes after they dropped a round shaped metallic block in the furnace, which poured hot liquid on their skins.

“We were immersing different metal pieces into the furnace and all seemed well until our colleague dropped a round metallic ball, which exploded like a bomb,” he said.

Amina Nakagolo, another survivor said despite the fact that she is out of danger; she wants the factory management to offer them standard medical care.

“The hot liquid injured both my hands and it would be just fair if the factory offered us medical attention in a suitable government hospital with specialists to handle these burns,” she said.

Samuel Kawuuta, the Human Resource Officer Tembo Steel mills confirmed the incident, said it resulted from unauthorized water flow in the furnace.

“Water is an important component in the softening of these metals. Part of the water accidentally poured into the hot furnace, causing it to burst instantly,” he said.

The Iganga District Police Commander, David Ndaula says a team of detectives have started investigations to ascertain the cause of the explosion.