Girl survives after harsh wind crashes dad's house

By Aloysius Byamukama

A two-year-old girl and three builders survived what could have been their fateful end after a harsh wind brought down the house in which they were in at the time.

The roof of the house was blown off and the walls were sent crumbling down in Ruhoroza village, Kabwohe-Itendero Town council in Sheema district.

Esther Nalukwago, daughter to Ephraim Katongole, together with three builders survived with minor injuries.

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The area market vendors were left stunned.

The destructive wind, which left a trail of more destruction – plantations and other houses – in its wake, left the area residents in shock.

The natural force that came without rain, started at around 10:30 am local time (EAT) on Friday. It started from the adjacent Rushoroza Village hill near Kabwohe town.

It blew iron sheets of some houses into the air and knocked down several walls. The roof of the town market located along Masheruka road was not spared too.

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It was disastrous. . . iron sheets were dangerously blown off houses.

Doreen Atuhaire, one of the market vendors operating a kiosk in the market, blacked out and was rushed to the nearby BMC clinic, after the strong wind force ripped off the roof of the market where she was with other traders.

Ephraim Katongole, an area resident, had his house battered and brought down. Luckily, his two-year-old daughter who was in the house at the time survived.

Katongole’s three-bedroom house was nearing completion as the building work was in its final stages until the negative natural force came along.

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Ephraim Katongole stands in front of his battered house.

“I have been putting up this house from the little I have been saving after going through terrible financial problems with bank loans, but now I am down to nothing again after all this struggle,” Katongole moaned.

Sheema district chairperson Pastori Mugisha got to the scene and consoled those affected. He said a team from the district will move around and make and assessment of the extent of the damage.

By press time, the security personnel in the area had deployed the UPDF around the town in order to stop any looting.

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Sheema district chairperson Pastori Mugisha was at the scene.