More than 200 residents have been left homeless following a fire that tore through Kikadde Trading Centre in Lwensambya Village, Kitumbi Sub-county, Kassanda District. The fire destroyed homes, businesses, and property worth millions of shillings.
The fire broke out on Saturday at around 4:40pm triggering panic among residents as flames rapidly spread across the busy trading centre.
According to Lameck Kigozi, the Wamala Regional Police Spokesperson says preliminary investigations indicate that the blaze was caused by an attempted illegal electricity connection.
Kigozi explains that eyewitnesses reported seeing a man identified only as Kizza, a suspected quack electrician, locally known as a “Kamyufu,” climb an electricity pole and allegedly tamper with the power supply in an attempt to make an unauthorized connection.
The sparks later intensified, igniting a fire that quickly spread to nearby structures, fueled by closely built houses and business premises within the trading centre.
The blaze reduced several residential houses, shops, a clinic, and other semi-permanent structures to ashes, leaving more than 200 residents without shelter and destroying sources of livelihood for many families.
Police and local leaders are currently assessing the extent of the damage and establishing the total value of the property lost in the incident.
Kigozi says the suspect identified only as Kizza is still at large, and efforts to trace and arrest him are ongoing so that he can answer charges related to this incident.
By URN
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