By Wetondo Denis Julius
MBALE
11-year-old girl has been buried in a sandpit while mining sand for beautifying her parent’s house ahead of Christmas Day.
The deceased identified as Toista Masila, a resident of Kibaya village, Bukalasi parish in Bukalisi Sub County in Bududa district died on Saturday 12th December 2020.
According to Mary Butsina, mother of the deceased, Masila was buried inside the pit while she was trying to mine sand for the house.
She added that she was informed by her fellow children who she went with for mining that Masila had been buried inside the pit after soils collapsed on her.
Butsina added that she raised an alarm which attracted people unfortunately by the time they managed to dig her out, she had already died.
Stephen Muyekho, one of the residents in the area blamed parents for sending their children to mine sand during this festival season to smear or beauty their houses yet soils are weak as a result of recent heavy rains.
He said that last year toward the Christmas time, they had a similar incident whereby three children were buried in a sand pit.
James Wakoba, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer GISO of Bukalasi sub-county has warned parents against sending their children for mining sand during this rainy season.
“Bududa has fine soft soils during this rainy time that is why they easily collapse if you dig a hole,” Wakoba said.
