Prime
One dead, another injured as building collapses in Masaka City
People standing at the site where the deceased was buried alive by the falling debris on January 7, 2021. Photo | Wison Kutamba
What you need to know:
- The deceased, nicknamed Mukiga, 25, was buried alive by the falling rubble, while the injured Kenneth Mudo, 27, who was rushed to Masaka regional referral hospital in critical condition.
A storied building still under construction in Masaka City collapsed on Friday, killing one person and injuring another critically.
The deceased, nicknamed Mukiga, 25, was buried alive by the falling rubble, while the injured Kenneth Mudo, 27, who was rushed to Masaka regional referral hospital in critical condition.
The affected building is near Nakayiba wetland, along the main road connecting Nyendo to Masaka town, in Nyendo-Mukungwe division, Masaka City.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the foundation pillars collapsed leading to the collapse of the building, which trapped the workers who were laying concrete on the ground floor to raise the walls.
Mr Emmanuel Ssegirinya, one of the eyewitnesses, said the foundation pillars collapsed while being compressed by the heaps of soil that were dumped on the edges of the construction site.
“Mukiga has been my friend and about an hour ago I passed by the site and jazzed with him before I was called that he has been buried by the falling debris,” he said, adding that efforts to rescue him were futile because the police excavator arrived hours later.
The site was initially a steep slope that was ascending towards Nakayiba wetland but was recently excavated and filled with soil to level the ground for construction. Ssegirinya indicates that part of the soil suddenly disintegrated leading to the collapse of the building.
The owner of the building has been only identified as Moses Njawuzi.
The Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Muhammad Nsubuga, confirmed the incident saying that the body of the deceased was taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for post mortem.
“Police is already investigating the circumstances under which Mukiga died and equally trying to find more of his personal details which remain unknown by now,” he said on Friday.
