Government delivers supplies to fuel tank fire victims

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) yesterday delivered an assortment of relief items for distribution to families that lost people and property, and survivors of a fire trigged by the crashing of a fuel tanker on Sunday.

Police said a tanker heading to Kasese rammed into four stationary vehicles around 3pm and the impact triggered an inferno that killed at least 23 people, burnt five vehicles and more than 30 houses and shops.

The relief items supplied include 50 tarpaulins, 100 saucepans, 200 mosquito nets, 300 plastic plates, 36 blankets and 600 bags of rice of 50kg each.
“Government has provided these items to help the people affected by the tragedy. We are making assessment to be able to give more help,” Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, the minister in-charge of General Duties in OPM, said at Kyambura Trading centre in Kicwamba Sub-county yesterday.
Ms Karooro said each family that lost people (or a person) will be given Shs500,000 to help in sending off their loved ones.

The chief administrative officer for Rubirizi, Mr James Luyimbazi, said they have so far registered 30 households that lost property and people.
Atleast 23 bodies had been recovered by yesterday, according to police.

Mr Luyimbazi said five bodies have been taken for burial while 18 have been taken to Kampala for DNA testing.
A medical team was at Lugazi Health Centre IV to get samples from people claiming to have lost people in the inferno.

“Most of the reports we have basically talk about people within Rubirizi but there were taxis parked at the trading centre. One was almost full; it had about 17 passengers. About 25 people are unaccounted for, so we haven’t established the exact number of people who have died in the tragedy,” Mr Luyimbazi said.

He said the district plans to bury the unclaimed bodies. Five people are hospitalised at Kilembe Hospital in Kasese District and other five are at Kampala International University (KIU) Teaching Hospital in Bushenyi.

Dr Michael Luduko, the officer in-charge of the surgical ward at KIU, said the five are out of danger.

Meanwhile, religious leaders in the area yesterday morning held joint prayers for the deceased and survivors at Kyambura Playground.
The area Member of Parliament, Mr John Twesigye Ntamuhira, faulted police for arriving at the scene ill-equipped and late.

“They came with inadequate carbondioxide, if they had arrived in time and with adequate tools possibly some lives and property would have been saved,” Mr Ntamuhire said.

Mr Martial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi police spokesperson, earlier on Monday said they delayed to reach the scene of the accident because they did not readily have fuel.
Ms Karooro yesterday promised to report to the President what people said about Police Fire Brigade

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