- Elderly Woman Burnt to Death in House Fire
- Mob Kills Suspected Motorcycle thief in Nakasongola On Christmas Day
- Kibaale Man Detained for Hacking his Colleague to Death
IGANGA – At least five people were reported dead from two separate, suffocation related, incidents on Christmas, police authorities in the eastern Uganda confirmed on Sunday.
A mother and her daughter were confirmed dead in Iganga district after inhaling smoke from a burning charcoal stove. The dead were identified as Salima Kaudha, 30, and her seven-year-old daughter, Ruth Mudondo.
Neighbours retrieved the deceased’s lifeless bodies from their home in Igulusi village, Nakalama sub-county, Iganga district. Residents became suspicious on noticing that the door of their neighbour’s house was still closed by 3:00pm.
The family head, Peter Basooma was retrieved live and rushed to Iganga General Hospital for treatment.
Mubarak Muwumba, a resident of the area, narrated that Kaudha and her child were last seen on Saturday night, adding that concerned neighbours had alerted police, who forcefully opened the house – as their eyes landed onto Kaudha and her daughter lying lifeless.
Busoga East Region Police Spokesperson, Diana Nandaula confirmed the incident, saying preliminary investigation revealed that the duo suffocated to death after cooking in a poorly ventilated house.
Nandaula said police had recovered a burnt-out charcoal stove and a saucepan full of cooked bananas, as exhibits from the scene.
She warned members of the public to refrain from cooking inside their houses while asleep, arguing that such acts limit the amount of oxygen in the air, which could easily result into suffocation.
In a related incident, three people also suffocated to death in Kibuku district on Christmas, according to Immaculate Alaso, the Bukedi Region Police Spokesperson. She identified the dead as Florence Nawire, 58, as well as minors – Sumaya Oliveraged and Kakai Lot. The victims were residents of Bwase village in Buluya Parish, Kirika sub-county in Kibuku District.
In her statement, Alaso explained that Kirika Community Police Station received a report of possible suffocation by carbon monoxide from a charcoal stove, left burning with food on it when the victims went to sleep.
“The neighbours upon realizing that they had delayed waking up, felt concerned and attempted to wake them up.
“Their efforts proved futile as there was no response. They were forced to break the door only to find their lifeless bodies inside the house,” she said.
She explained that police retrieved the deceased’s bodies and conveyed them to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for post-mortem.
“We would like to caution the public that the largest group that suffers from carbon monoxide poisoning are families. It is important to note that carbon monoxide poisoning is entirely preventable. Individuals or groups of persons can protect themselves by learning the symptoms of carbon monoxide and how to prevent it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Five people died on Monday morning following an accident at Kibukuta Swamp along the Kampala – Masaka highway. The accident involved a Toyota Hiace minibus Reg. No. UBM 489B and a Mercedes Benz, Reg. No. UAM 445B, according to Faridah Nampiima, the Traffic and Road Safety Public Relations Officer of the Uganda Police Force.
She explained that the accident occurred around 7:00am when the Mercedes Benz, that was headed to Masaka as was the minibus tried to overtake at a terrible speed, lost control – knocking the van off the road.
Both vehicles overturned killing five people and injuring five others. She said the deceased, whose identities hadn’t been established, included three female adults and two males who were travelling in the Toyota Hiace, while the other five victims from the Benz, were rushed to Nkozi Hospital.
“The suspected cause of the accident is speeding by both vehicles,” she said, adding: “We wish to remind all road users to be vigilant and observe maximum road discipline.”
In Kagadi, police are investigating circumstances under, which a 90-year-old woman was burnt to death in her grass-thatched house on Christmas.
According to Julius Hakiza – the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, Beatrice Nyiranganzi’s grass-thatched house, located in Mpeefu B village, Siyoni parish in Mpeefu sub-county gutted fire at around 10:00pm. Nyiranganzi was alone in the house at the time when fire started.
Her neighbour, Fred Kabeni, said they responded to huge flames from the house, but arrived too late to save her life.
Hakiza said preliminary police investigations indicated that the fire could have originated from a burning charcoal stove that was found inside the house.
In Nakasongola, a mob lynched a suspected motorcycle thief to death at Kyakala village in Nakasongola district on Christmas. The suspect met his death, reportedly after attacking, Fred Mwesigwa, a boda boda rider in Migeera Town Council at Kyamukonda village, and grabbing his motorcycle Reg. No. UFR 361A.
Mwesigwa immediately alerted his boss Paul Taremwa who also notified the company where he secured the motorcycle on loan to track it.
Brians Ampaire, the Nakasongola District Police Commander, said the said stolen motor cycle was tracked through the system, intercepting the suspect in Kakooge Town Council at around midnight.
He narrated that the suspect was killed on the way to Migeera Police Station, after their means of transport ran out of fuel at Kyakala village and ‘the captors decided’ to lynch him.’
“Inquiries are on-going with the view of having suspects that participated in mob justice arrested for prosecution,” said Ampaire, added that they were yet to identify the deceased.
Relatedly, in Kibaale, Police are holding, Kereti Byamugisha – suspecting him of hacking his colleague to death.
Byamugisha is accused of killing, John Ntabani, a fellow resident of Koranyi LCI in Manyinya parish, Kasimbi sub-county.
It is alleged that the duo picked up a quarrel, for unknown reasons, around 11:00pm on Christmas while in a bar. Byamugisha, who was reportedly armed with a machete hacked Ntabani, severally on the head and face.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at Kagadi General Hospital where he had been rushed for medical attention.
Proscovia Katusiime, an eye witness said that residents arrested Byamugisha and handed him over to the police, who have since confirmed the incidence.
Additional reporting by URN
