Fire Guts Bugiri Shops

MERCHANDISE worth sh65m was recently destroyed when fire gutted five shops in Bugiri town, reports Richards Osinde.The deputy Resident District Commissioner, Michael Bwalatum, said the fire which started at 12:00am after a morning down pour, burnt all the property in the building.He told The New Vision that a man who resides in one of the shops escaped unhurt because he had gone to the latrine when the fire broke out. He said the fire is believed to have started from a near by film shack spreading to the next building. Bwalatum said the iron sheet structured corner house is located on plot 52 on Grand Street and was built by Asians in the 1970’s.He said the fire was burning for two hours before the Fire Brigade arrived. “Because the structures were painted with oil paint, it accelerated the speed in short a time destroying everything,” he said. Bwalatum identified people who lost their property as Twaifu Mohammed, the landlord, Med Bashir, Adam Hassan, Ali Alatibu, Edirisa Maganda and Alex Isoba among others.Bwalatum said information concerning the cause of the fire was still scanty and investigations were under way.Ends