Africa-Press – Uganda. A worker at Nile Fiber Board Company died in a September 1 factory fire that injured four other employees and destroyed the firm’s property worth millions of shillings at Kinoni Village, Kakooge Sub County in Nakasongola District.
The fire that reportedly started from the factory production department at about 3:40am spread to the other sections before the Nile Fiber Board fire team was joined by the Police anti-fire unit.
‘The cause of the fire was yet to be established,” according to Savana Region Police Commander Mr Ignatius Otong who confirmed a fatality.
Police identified the deceased as Abbey Ssebowa, a resident of Kinoni in Kakooge Sub County, Nakasongola District while the injured workers include Kennedy Oti, Innocent Odongo, Peter Sunday and Paul Bogere.
“Two of the injured workers are at Franciscan Health Centre IV while two were referred to Kiwoko Hospital in Nakaseke District for further case management,” he told the Monitor in an interview.
‘Fireballs in production’
Mr Innocent Odong, one of the injured workers said he and other workers had been assigned to clear sand durst when they heard a bang followed by fireballs in the factory production side.
“I was surrounded by fire but managed to jump over using one of the pipes on the ground. The fire spread very fast. Possibly unconscious, I found myself at the hospital bed,” he told this publication.
The management at the factory were not committed to revealing the extent of the damage but an official from the company’s finance department pledged a statement.
The wood processing company employs more than 500 people and is among the largest factories in the greater Luweero region.
“The fire outbreak is a big setback for both Nakasongola and the management at the company,” observed Mr Sam Kigula, the Nakasongola LC5 Chairperson.
About the company
The Nile Fiber Board Company that sits on a 3,500 hectare land at Kinoni Village in Nakasongola District was commissioned by President Museveni in April 2019.
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