Property belonging to the local council one chairman for Busoto Lower village in Maaba parish Bubitta Sub County in Bududa district has been burnt to ashes following phone battery explosion.
The Chairman’s burnt properties include chairs, books, clothes and mattresses, blankets among others which are estimated to be worth 10 million shillings.
The fire was triggered when a phone battery which was charging using solar energy exploded. One of the eye witnesses and a neighbor who heard the battery explode said she was shocked and thought that it was a grenade.
She said about one minute after the explosion, she saw fire burning but she could not manage to put it off because it was very strong. She said this prompted her to call the school students of Bududa comprehensive secondary school who were near to respond to the danger.
Students who rescued some property said they were tipped by a passerby that a house was burning, something that prompted them to pick basins and jerricans to carry water so that they could help stop the fire.
According to Tom Mukuwa, owner of the house, as he was about to leave home for the garden, his daughter told her brother to tie a battery on the solar system to charge. By the time he left, the battery was already attached and was charging.
He said he was shocked on receiving a call one hour later while in the garden that his house was burning. He said he could not believe it because there was no fire in his house. He said he ran back and left whatever he was doing.
Peter Wambewo, a phone repairer and physician, asked those who tie batteries to refrain from doing it. He said the batteries contain lithium, manganese and iron which can all explode when exposed to heat in such circumstances.
For more click here
