Africa-Press – Uganda. Traders in Jua-Kali in Soroti east division, Soroti city are counting losses on Christmas day after a mysterious fire ravaged six timber stores.
Jua-Kali situated along Cemetery and Liverpool roads respectively is Soroti’s hub for fabrication, mechanical engineering and countless other hardware businesses.
By press time after police from the fire brigade department had managed to douse off the fire, the owners of the business premises were seen yelling after property which police estimated to be at about Shs1 billion had been lost to fire.
The police identified the owners of the destroyed property as Ms Hellen Rose Abeso, Mr Wilson Ekayu, Ms Anna Atim, Mr Peter Okoboi, Mr Abdalah Lopai and another only identified as Mr Amude.
Mr Oscar Ageca, the acting police spokesperson for east Kyoga said the fire broke out at around midnight.
“The cause of the fire has not yet been established but we are trying our best to salvage the scene as we continue with investigations,” Mr Ageca said Saturday.
Mr Ageca said police since midnight have been battling the fire together with the locals.
“We caution the public to celebrate the festive season responsibly,” he added.
He noted that besides the timber and the machinery at the timber stores, there were also three rice milling machines that were affected.
“One of these people recently borrowed some money from a post bank for stocking his timber workshop, I am now wondering how he is going to repay the loan because the bank will not understand it unless his business is insured,” an eye witness found at the scene told this reporter on condition of anonymity.
Mr Boniface Etwomu, a brother to Ms Abeso one of the affected timber dealers was suspicious that if the fire was not caused by hydroelectricity short circuiting, there’s a possibility that the place was set ablaze by suspected arsonists that had a wrong motive.
Early this year another fire destroyed a dentist clinic situated in Serere park in Soroti town, but was equally brought under control by the police fire brigade.
[email protected]
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
