By Matiya Tubamanya and Alex Baluku
Three people have died in a fire outbreak that occurred today afternoon at Hima Cement Factory in Kasese district.
The number has been officially confirmed this evening by the Country Chief Executive Officer Hima Cement Factory, Jean-Michel Pons.
According to the Chief Executive Officer, another eight were injured with one in a critical condition, adding that the incident happened when a team of Engineers was doing some installation works at the light diesel oil tank.
But before the official confirmation, some people especially residents, friends and relatives of the employees were still leaving in fear.
Some of them had told this reporter that they first heard a blast and saw smoke coming out of the plant and after some minutes saw some ambulances entered the factory.
According to the insider, fire sparked from one of the Fuel tanks located near Line II area within the factory.
It was established that yet unidentified factory workers were doing some fabrication work near the fuel tank.
Some residents who spoke to our reporter outside the factory said they were worried if their relatives and friends were safe inside the plant.
They explained that they heard an alarm coming from the factory and shortly after some strange banging and sounding like a blast was also heard.
UPDF together with the Uganda police at Hima Police Station were immediately called and surrounded the entire factory.
Our reporter, who was too denied access to the factory, saw some ambulances ferrying the injured persons to Case Clinic in Hima Town.
A video clip making rounds on social media shows the fire bridge members holding pipes to put off the fire.
But Engineer Ronnie Muhumuza, who claimed to be an employee of Hima Cement Factory, told the press that the incident happened when he was taking breakfast and immediately rushed to the scene to ascertain what had happened.
Upon reaching the scene, he saw one of the fuel tanks having caught fire.
Hilda Maate Businge, the Hima Town Council L. C III Chairperson regretted the incident and sympathized with families whose relatives and friends have died and injured during the incident.
