Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Kyotera District are investigating circumstances under which two people died at a shaduf site.
A shaduf is a hand-operated device for lifting water from a deep well.
“It’s sad that we have lost two people, including the engineer, in an unusual situation,” Mr Hassan Hiwumbire, the Kyotera District Police Commander (DPC) said.
The incident happened on Wednesday in Kyakudduse Cell, Kasaali Town Council after Mr Amir Kavuma hired Mr Ramathan Kiwanuka from Kampala to renovate a well where he has been fetching water for domestic use.
After about an hour without hearing from Kiwanuka who had entered the 130-feet deep pit, Mr Kavuma negotiated a payment of Shs800, 000 with one of the residents, Mr Robert Ssebayigga, to enter the pit and find out what had happened to the engineer.
It was later established that both died in the pit due to suffocation.
Police in Kyotera said they “sought the help of experts from the force’s fire prevention and rescue services in Kampala and the bodies were retrieved Wednesday evening.”
Mr Stephen Kirumira, the Kyotera District water engineer advised residents to always engage professionals in whatever they do to avoid such incidents.
“I wonder how someone digging a well can go 130 -feet down yet the recommended feet should be 100-feet. People should know that the best way to succeed is consulting the professionals,” he said.
Mr Kirumira further explained that most of the soils in the South western region are weak and it is hard to dig any pit beyond 100 -feet.
“As one goes deeper, the upper soils can easily get weak and eventually bury one inside,” he warned.
“In most cases, the victims die as a result of suffocation due to insufficient oxygen,” he added.
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