Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Mpigi District are investigating circumstances under which soil buried a man alive in a stone quarry.
Robert Gyagenda, 44 is said to have died on April 23 as he was looking for stones for sale from a stone quarry at Bubezi Village, Mpigi Town Council, Mpigi District.
According to Mr John Galiwango, who was working on the opposite side in the same quarry, the deceased descended into the cave alone at around 8am to retrieve stones before loose soil and rocks collapsed and buried him alive.
“The deceased entered alone in the quarry, but after a few minutes, I heard him screaming which prompted me to rush to the spot where he was, only to find him covered by soil,” Mr Galiwango said on Sunday.
He said he alerted other residents who swiftly responded and removed Gyagenda when he was still breathing.
“We rushed him to hospital on a boda boda, but unfortunately he died on the way,” he said.
He blamed the accident on heavy rains currently pounding the area.
Ms Lydia Tumushabe, the Katonga regional police spokesperson, said the police homicide team has since visited the scene and recorded statements from key witnesses.
“The body was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital for postmortem and we later handed it over to the relatives for burial, but our investigations are still ongoing,” she said.
She cautioned the residents against going to the quarry during the rainy season “We advise residents to keep away from all stone quarries during this rainy season because the soils are soggy and can easily collapse on them,” she said.
Stones are key raw materials for construction and their excavation has in the last two decades become a lucrative business due to the growing construction sector in the country.
