A 21-year-old pregnant woman has been electrocuted to death while trying to hang her clothes on the line shortly after washing them.
The incident happened Tuesday in Kahendero II Cell in Muhokya Town Council, Kasese district.
The deceased has been identified as Macklin Nabasa, a wife to Mr. Andrew Tumugume, 27.
She was nine months pregnant and preparing to go to a health facility to deliver but was stopped by the morning downpour.
According to residents, while waiting for the rain to stop, the deceased decided to pick up a few of her clothes and start washing them, but the story turned scandalous when a live electric wire from a lamp holder accidentally dropped and touched the clothes line, thus electrocution.
Mr. Dan Katongole, the area LCI chairperson, told said that the incident happened at around 9:30 a.m.
He stressed that an 11-year-old Mariam Kemigisha, a primary-seven pupil at Muhokya Primary School who was staying with the deceased, was also electrocuted as she attempted to rescue her relative.
The minor is currently admitted to Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment.
Mr. Robert Guma, the LCIII Chairperson for Muhokya Town Council, who also rushed to the scene of the crime, urged the residents to be careful with electric wires, which, according to him, cause havoc if not protected.
Subsequently, police led by ASP Martin Kizza, the officer in charge of Kasese Central Police Station, visited the scene, documented it, and conveyed the dead body to Kasese Municipal Health Centre III for a postmortem examination as well as removing the dead fetus from the mother’s womb.
While addressing the residents, ASP Kizza warned them against any attempts to make illegal electricity connections, arguing that the illegal installation of power could have caused the incident.
He told the community members that, as police, they would liaise with UMEME, an authorized power distribution company, to launch an operation against illegal connections to save the lives of Ugandans living in the area.