Two People confirmed dead as fire guts Kamwokya houses

KAMWOKYA: At least two people have been confirmed dead, with scores injured as fire on Thursday evening ravaged several makeshift houses in Kamwokya leaving property worth millions of shillings destroyed to ashes.

The fire reportedly started at around 7 PM in Kisenyi II, Kyamuka Zone in Kamwokya division when the majority of the occupants were still vending along Northern Bypass.

Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Services Unit arrived with its fire brigade to stop the fire but could not gain access to the blazing structures due to the congested buildings and a swampy drainage channel.

Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire said the fire is suspected to have been touched off by sparks from nearby electricity transmission lines.

“The firefighters at the scene with the territorial Police of Kira Road have so far confirmed two deaths of a male adult and a female adult,” said Owoyesigire.

“Their identities are yet to be known. A number of injuries from the locals and police officers responders have been registered,” he added.

The residents who stood helplessly as fire consumed their property, with others wailing for the lost property have called on the government and well-wishers to respond to the cause by supporting the affected families as their property was destroyed down to ashes.

One of the residents only identified as Mama Mirembe said she was selling fruits by the roadside when the fire broke out. A mother of three, Mama Mirembe kept wailing am wondered where she will seek refuge. She said she could not rescue anything because, by the time the fire started, they were far.

“I am finished. Where do I start from? All the money I had has been burnt, everything I had has been burnt in the house so what am I going to do? God should take me away because I don’t know how I am going to feed my children,” Mama Mirembe wailed.

Kyamyuka zone is a densely populated residential area, home to thousands of poor residents. Cases of fires have been on the rise in Kampala in recent months.