The biggest Market in Fort-Portal has been gutted by fire.
The fire at Mpanga Main Market started at 8:00pm last night and burned 30 shops and several Kiosks.
Police and other security personnel rushed to the scene but watched helplessly as the fire spread to the shops because the police in fort-portal have no fire fighting equipment.
Security officials however fired several rounds of bullets to scare away hooligans, who were trying to take advantage of the situation to loot merchandise from the shops.
The market is located to a petrol station and fear was rife that if uncontrolled the fire could spread to the petrol station. Workers at the petrol station waged a courageous fight using fire extinguishers to wade off any blaze from the burning market.
Goods worth millions of shillings are believed to have perished in the fire.
Kakonge Kambarage, the Resident District Commissioner has convened an emergency meeting this morning to discuss the circumstances under which the market was razed down by fire.
Initial investigations into the cause of the fire point to a short circuit.
Set up in 1954 by the colonial administration, Mpanga, a daily market attracts hundreds of traders from Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Kasese, Bundibugyo and Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2006, a similar fire broke out at Kabarole Islamic Primary School 2006 and burnt two dormitories and leaving 9 pupils dead.
