A semi-permanent house has collapsed at Budimbo Village in Mityana district, killing 3 children following a heavy downpour. The deceased children have been identified as Derrick Wasswa and his twin, Douglas Kato, 13, and their 10-year-old sister, Florence Nakamya.
Witnesses say that by the time of the incident on Sunday, the deceased children were with their father, Michael Katende, and two other children who also sustained injuries following the collapse of the house during the heavy downpour.
Residents said that Katende and his family had just settled in the village and constructed a semi-permanent house that was razed by the storm. Imelda Nabukeera, a neighbour of the affected family, said that by the time they responded, the father of the deceased children had escaped and was nowhere to be seen.
She said that they heard the alarm during the rain and waited for it to subside before they could respond. John Membe, the chairperson of Budimbo village, described the incident as unfortunate, saying that they only managed to save 2 out of the 5 children who were trapped in the house together with their father.
Membe has asked the residents to construct strong structures for their own safety to avoid further occurrences. According to Rachael Kawala, the deceased’s bodies are at Mityana Hospital awaiting a postmortem.
The incident came shortly after more than 10 people died in Mbale and Kapchorwa districts in the eastern region as a result of heavy rains.
