Billions lost as fire guts ginnery in Kwania district
KWANIA, April 9, 2024 – Properties worth more than Shs 2 billion have been destroyed in a fire that gutted a section of Ikwera Ginnery in Kwania district.
The fire that started at 4:00 pm on Sunday spread so fast, reducing the factory buildings to ashes. The fire also destroyed over 1,500 bales of cotton.
Authorities are yet to establish the exact cause of the fire. However, one of the employees at the factory told theCooperator that the fire was a result of a short circuit.
Bob Alex Ogwal, a resident of Olami B, Ikwera Ward in Aduku town council where the ginnery is located said the fire first gutted the same ginnery about 10 years ago.
He added: “It is laxity of the cotton ginnery managers to put in fire control measures at the factory. This incident is a repeat of what we witnessed about 10 years ago. This should be an eye opener to the cotton managers to install more fire extinguishers and conduct fire safety trainings to prepare for future hazards.”
Tom Obayi, one of the businessmen near the ginnery said, “The gutting of the ginnery is not only a big loss to the company but is a big loss to the entire community, especially those employed at the ginnery are now left jobless.”
Attempts to get comment from the managers of the ginnery were futile as they could not pick up our telephone calls or respond to our messages.
However, Jimmy Patrick Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying the fire brigade and rescue services responded to the scene and managed to extinguish the fire before it destroyed other properties.
“Fire brigade and rescue services from North Kyoga Region went to the scene and responded positively. Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of the fire outbreak was due to short-circuit at the press room where the machines are placed,” he said, adding that investigations are ongoing to establish the exact cause of the fire.
https://thecooperator.news/nbrb-develops-fire-safety-tool-to-curb-fire-risks-in-schools/
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