Police has retrieved the bodies of two men who were buried in a well they were sinking at Centenary High School in Nyendo in Masaka Municipality. James Mitti and Paul Mutesasira were killed on Tuesday when the well curved in. Eye witnesses say James Mitti was the first one to fall in as he tried to descend to the bottom of the well using a rope that broke down.
As a result, Peter Mutesasira tried to rescue but the ground on which he was standing on curved in throwing him deep in the well. Their bodies were retrieved from the well at 5:45pm by a rescue team from the Kampala Fire brigade led by Charles Enwau. Police used ropes, ladders and a pulley to retrieve the bodies after three failed attempts. Enwau says that the victims could have died due to lack of oxygen.
He argues that usually people involved in sinking well carry along banana sackers which they use to supply oxygen but they were found at the surface. Simon Peter Wafana, the Southern Regional Police commander says that the two bodies have been taken to Masaka regional referral hospital for a post-mortem before they handed over to their relatives for burial.
He says police is investigating Abdullah Matovu, the headmaster of Centenary High School for criminal negligence. Wafana says that preliminary investigations show that the ditch was not fenced off before the victims embarked on work without any technical advice. He also says that police have declared the location of the well a disaster area and unfit for a well because it is found in the middle of the school compound.
Charles Kagimu, the father to Paul Mutesasira, one of the victims says that he was shocked by the death of his son because he was used to sinking wells. He however, says that God could have planned his death this way. Abdullah Matovu, the Headmaster of Centenary High School has not yet commented on the police investigations as he had left the school by the time the bodies were retrieved.
