A dark cloud still hovers around Kampala following the death of ten people at the Freedom City Mall during a stampede on January 01, 2023.
Grieving relatives to the deceased are still receiving bodies of victims at the Kampala Capital City Authority – KCCA mortuary in Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Nine perished during a fireworks display at the mall Sunday, and another person, 17 years, also succumbed hours after the incident.
The deceased were attending a musical show organized by popular Uganda Music promoter, Abbey Musinguzi, alias Abtex.
Among the deceased include; Shafiq Muwonge 10, Kizito Ibraham 11, Daniel Kibuka 14 years, Daniella Kibuka 10 and another only identified as Nanzara.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police – KMP Deputy spokesperson,Luke Owoyesigyire, said the incident was caused by a ‘rush and negligent act.
He says the Master of Ceremony at the event encouraged the revellers to go outside the mall to watch the fireworks display. After the display ended, a stampede ensued, resulting in the instant deaths of five people while scores sustained injuries. Police are yet to release the identities of the victims.
Eye witnesses at the event have also pinned the MC for encouraging people to use the small exit to watch the fire works. They allege that large numbers squeezed through the tiny gate but along the way, the keeper shut the exit and directed people to go back inside, this caused several people to suffocate in the middle as many failed to leave the entrance to the gate.
The eye say both children and adults started fainting amidst the stampede.