FORT PORTAL – One person died on spot and six others were injured last evening when a fire broke out in Fort Portal town, Kabarole district.
The incident happened at around at 9 pm at Town Centre near the bus park in Fort Portal town where a truck carrying fuel in jerrycans and plastic drums caught fire killing one person on spot and injuring six others.
According to Kabarole District Police Commander Kanyesigye Jamal, the truck registration number UAW 038N was carrying fuel from a yet be established source to Kyenjonjo district when all of a sudden it caught fire. The investigation into the cause of the fire outbreak is ongoing.
One car belonging to Arinaitwe Raymond was burnt, a motorcycle, three shops were destroyed completely and five others partially burnt.
The identities of the victims are, Mwesigye Kiyaye, 37, died on spot. The injured are; Jane, 25, a resident of Rwengoma, Mrs Isaiah, 27, also a resident of Rwengoma, Friday Robert, 46, resident of Kidukulu, Musinguzi Julius 32 years resident of Kyakaboja, Nyakaguma Stephen 27 years resident of Kijura, Kagaba Christopher 47 years of Mwenge village Kyenjonjo.
“We want to commend our fire brigade team from kabarole that did a tremendous job in ensuring that the fire was put out,” Mr Kanyesigye said.
The country has experienced cases of arsonists and several fire outbreaks in the last 10 years, most notably the fires that gutted several schools in 2008 and 2009, among them, is the infamous Budo Junior School fire that killed about 20 children, the Park Yard Market fire that occurred twice; in 2009 and 2011, destroying millions worth of property.
In 2011 alone, 1,203 fire incidents were reported, most of them occurring in Kampala Metropolitan Area, meaning the fire incidents doubled compared to the 669 fire cases reported in 2010, although the fatalities reduced by half. In 2010, 76 deaths were reported.