Explosions ruled out of Mbarara inferno

Jan 03, 2002

Security officials have said no explosives were involved in the fire which gutted Mbarara Central Market on Tuesday evening.

By Allan Turyaguma in MbararaSecurity officials have said no explosives were involved in the fire which gutted Mbarara Central Market on Tuesday evening.Speculation was rife among the residents that the inferno in Mbarara’s biggest market, which destroyed property worth billions of shillings, had been sparked off by bombs planted in the stalls.The chairman of the district security committee Mr. Joseph Arwata, told a press conference yesterday that no bombs or their remains were found at the scene. “Experts have combed the whole place but there were no bombs. What people had suspected to be a grenade was just a container for rat poison,” he said.Arwata who is also Mbarara RDC, displayed the poison container at the conference, which was jointly addressed by the inspector general of police Maj. Gen. Katumba Wamala and the district chairman Fred Kamugira.He extended sympathy to the affected people appealed to them to remain calm.Arwata expressed disgust at some unscrupulous people who went to the market to loot property instead of helping to put out the fire. “I am very disappointed with these people,” he said.

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