Six-year-old girl burns to death as father watches Arsenal game

A six-year-old girl has died after fire gutted their grass thatched house in Nambale village, Buwunga Sub-county in Bugiri District as her father reportedly watched the Arsenal and Crystal Palace game on Sunday evening.

Ms Yudaya Namugere, the mother, reportedly left her three children, including the deceased, Annet Namulondo, at home with their father and went to buy salt in the nearby Trading Centre.
However, as the game got underway, the father, Mr Saleh Mukulu, an Arsenal diehard, is said to have also left the children alone in the house yet there was a burning charcoal stove.
Mr Hussein Mulondo, the village LC1 chairperson, said the fire started when both parents were away and by the time the mother returned home, she found the house in flames.

“The woman found the house on fire and we managed to rescue two children, but the youngest was found dead,” Mr Mulondo said.
Mr James Mubi, the Busoga East police Spokesman, confirmed the incident, saying preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was caused by the charcoal stove which was left burning in the house.
“The woman left her husband in the house with the children but when the Arsenal match started, he also left them and went to the Trading Centre to watch the game yet there was a burning charcoal stove in the house.

“It was negligent of the parents to leave the children alone in a house which had a burning charcoal stove,” Mr Mubi said.
Mr Ali Tibesiga, a resident, said the entire district lacks a fire brigade and asked government for one.
“Since we don’t have a fire brigade nearby, we struggled to put out the fire using water but it was too much. The fire brigade we use comes from Iganga which is very far,” Mr Tibesiga said.
By press time, police had ordered relatives to bury the body as investigations continue.

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