By Mucunguzi Lawrence.
Ibanda
Two people died on the spot while two others sustained injuries after crushed stones inside a stone quarry caved in on Tuesday evening in Katooma Village of Kagongo division in Ibanda municipality, Ibanda district.
“ As Workers were working at a private stone quarry transporting them in Lorries and all of a sudden, a portion caved in and the crushed stones tumbled down on those working in the quarry ”. Said Vitarino Bagiritima, the Katooma LCI chairperson.
The deceased have been identified as Hellen Kusiima 18 a senior two student at Kagongo secondary school, and Mike Muhumuza 29 Robert Kigozi who has been earning a living by selling stones for construction. They died on spot.
Bagiritima told the media that they called the police, which worked with residents to retrieve the deceased’s body from the ground.
He attributed the incident to poor methods of quarrying.
The injured were identified as Alex Kimbiya, and John Tukundane a miner who sustained simple injuries as they escaped for their dear lives.
Kimbiya, also a miner, says the soils caved in when his college was splitting stones in the trench.
He fled for dear life when he heard the rock cracking and tried to alert Muhumuza but unfortunately he didn’t hear him since he was deep in the ground.
A police officer at the scene who preferred anonymity said that no one else was trapped or stuck beneath the debris.
Aggrey Mushabe the LCIII Chairperson of Kagongo division says soils could have been weakened by the water of the recent rains.
Robert Tumusiime the Division’s internal security officials said they will take action to deter further happening of the kinds. According to Tumusiime One, them is that other quarries in the locality would be inspected to assess their state of risk to those operating stone quarrying business.
Emilly Angomoku the Ibanda District Police Commander said they handed over the deceased’s body to the relatives for burial as investigations into the matter go on. She warned people to mind their safety as much as money is needed.
Simon Muhumuza the founder of the Green Environment organization a local NGO that spearheads environment conservation in the district, said they are many negative environmental impacts caused by stone quarrying such as air pollution from dust generated, water contamination by quarry residues washed down by erosion to streams, and rivers.
