Two siblings killed in Buvuma house fire
Residents gather at the burnt house in Buvuma District in which two siblings died. Photo / Denis Ssebwami
What you need to know:
- Pastor Charles Biyinzika, a resident in the area, said as neighbours, they tried to put out the fire, but the house was roofed using inflammable papyruses
Shock gripped residents of Mayinja Village, Busamuzi Sub County in Buvuma District Monday morning after two children died in a fire that gutted their grandmother’s grass-thatched house .
The deceased are Ali Mugabi, 4 and Rania Kagoya, 2 .
The incident occurred on 9pm on Sunday night as their grandmother escorted the other three children at home to ease themselves.
Ms Sarah Nandego, the deceased's grandmother, said she heard the alarm, but it was difficult to know that the tragedy had happened at her home.
“I heard the alarms, but I was very far and I couldn’t imagine that something bad could affect the two children left behind, but I was shocked to see my house in flames after reaching home," she said.
She attributed the incident on a lit candle she left unattended to inside the house.
“I have a solar rechargeable torch, but I had moved with it to help provide light where I was taking the children," she said.
Pastor Charles Biyinzika, a resident in the area, said as neighbours, they tried to put out the fire, but the house was roofed using inflammable papyruses.
“We tried to put out the fire in the absence of the owner, but it proved difficult due to heavy smoke that was emanating from the house, ” he said.
Mr Adrian Wasswa Ddungu, the chairperson Buvuma District appealed to the government to avail them more funds to construct a public pit-latrine in the area.
“If that household had a pit latrine, the grandmother wouldn’t have gone far ,but the problem we have as a district we do not have funds to dig at least one pit latrine in the area,” he said.
Buvuma District is made of a rocky terrain which local leaders say makes it expensive to dig a pit- latrine in the area and over 62 per cent of the population in Buvuma lack pit- latrines.
They trek long distances to the bushes near the lake shores commonly known as “Mabanga”.
Available statistics also show that another 64 per cent (56,960) of the population lack access to safe water in the area.
