Two girls killed in Koboko disco hall stampede
People gather at Koboko Hospital Mortuary where people sought to identify the girls who were murdered during a stampede at a disco hall in Koboko District on January 27, 2023. PHOTO/RONALD ACEMA
What you need to know:
- According to the North Division chairperson Mr Moses Lemeriga, the two girls breathed their last at a local clinic where they had been rushed by good Samaritans after becoming unconscious at the disco hall.
At least two female juveniles died following a stampede in a Khorida disco hall in Koboko Municipality on Friday.
The incident happened in Ombachi Cell in the municipality’s North Division in the wee hours of January 27.
Police early Friday identified one of the victims as Halima Ochogoru, 17, a former P.7 candidate of Ombachi Primary School. The other victim had not yet been identified by press time.
“The two girls died from Pioneer Medical Centre where they were taken by good samaritans after becoming unconscious from the disco hall,” The North Division Chairperson Moses Lemeriga told Monitor.
Provisional medical reports indicate that Ochogoru’s neck was strangled while her colleague suffered a twisted neck prior to her death.
Eyewitnesses who preferred anonymity told this publication that the girls fell to the ground as people attempted to escape when a fight broke out in the disco hall during a Liberation Day fest.
"A serious fight broke out in the club at around 1am when power went off. The fight lasted up to around 3am and when people saw that the fight was serious…everyone tried to get out. The two victims were drunk. So, in the process they fell down and people stepped on them several times,” the eyewitness narrated.
Authorities say the disco hall was operating illegally.
"We have currently intercepted the music equipment and we couldn't get the owner since he is on the run. For the mean time, we have banned all kinds of disco and shows in Koboko District. We urge all club and hotel owners to abide by our stand as security," Koboko District Chairperson
Ashrafu Mambo directed on Friday.
By 4pm Friday, no suspect had been arrested over the incident although police announced a probe into the incident they say likely involved assault.
"We received information about the incident at around 5am. We reached at the scene at 7am and found when two ladies had been transferred to Pioneer Hospital Koboko where they died. We didn't get anyone at the scene and we took exhibits. We suspect most exhibits belong to people who had been fighting," said Charles Aluma, the Deputy Officer in charge of Criminal Investigation at Koboko Police.
The bodies of the deceased are currently at the Koboko General Hospital mortuary for further postmortem.
“At the mortuary, one of the deceased had a phone which helped us to trace her parents. No one had claimed the body of the other one by midday on Friday," Aluma told Monitor.
Police records show that since Christmas, Koboko District has registered 9 deaths resulting from assault even as over 10 people died in a New Year stampede at Freedom City in Kampala overnight December 31, 2022.
