Shs300m lost in ashes as fire guts warehouse
Police officers inspect the scene of fire in Gulu Municipality last Thursday. PHOTO by JULIUS OCUNGI.
GULU
Fire gutted Rego-Rego Millers, a wood warehouse, last Thursday in Layibi Division, Gulu Municipality, leaving property worth more than Shs300m in ashes.
According to Mr Alex Ojera, an employee at the workshop, the fire began at about 5am after a suspected electric short circuit on a transformer. “I heard loud explosions early this morning and I knew something was wrong with the transformer. When I rushed out, I saw the warehouse already on fire,” Mr Ojera said. He said the police Fire Brigade arrived too late to put out the fire.
The workshop manager, Mr John Ojera, said the fire destroyed all their machines and blamed Umeme for the loss.
“We have lost more than Shs300m worth of property in this fire as a result of recklessness of Umeme in fixing this transformer which has been disturbing us for long. We want them to account for these losses,” Mr Ojera said.
The Aswa region police commander, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, who visited the scene last Thursday morning, said the Force would investigate the cause of the fire.
Mr Okema said police would also summon Umeme manager for Gulu branch, Mr Tom Azuwu, for an explanation. Mr Azuwu said the fire outbreak was not linked to the transformer.
