Five children die in Dokolo fire

Five children have been burnt to death in Lira and Dokolo districts in the last four days in three separate incidents, police have said.  

Two of the children died in Akuriluba village, Agali Sub County Lira district on Thursday.

The other three children, two of whom were siblings, died in Dokolo on Monday as their mothers had gone to fetch water, leaving them sleeping alone in the house. The house later caught fire, killing the children in the blaze.

In the Lira incident, New Vision has learnt that the two children were left in the house by their mother; Hilda Okori, who went to the garden nearby, leaving an improvised three-stone fire place set up in their hut burning after she had prepared a morning meal.

This, police said, is believed to have triggered fire in the house. When the inferno started, neighbours reported hearing children crying. However, by the time a rescue was done, the children had already died.  The dead included Kelly Ayo, 6, and her sister Shelly Alwedo, a six-month old.

Dokolo DPC Halminsi Kayondo said the incidents in Dokolo occurred on Monday when fire broke out on a grass thatched burning two children, aged four and three, to death in Aolikwac village.

The other, a five- month old, died in Olelpek village, in Dokolo Town council.  In both cases, the children's minders had gone to fetch water, the Regional police spokesperson David Ongom police said.