By Ronald Kundu
The Kiryandongo district marine police have retrieved eight bodies of the nine missing workers of Maruzi Palm Oil Farm who drowned in the River Nile in the wee hours of Monday morning.
The accident occurred at around 5 am when a group of 13 people who were crossing over from Apac district to Kiryandongo via the Masindi Port ferry capsized in the river after overwhelming the canoe.
Preliminary findings indicated that the group was sailing to Kiryandongo and Masindi side in search for a second job after having worked at the Palm farm for a while without payment.
According to Edison Muhangi, the Kiryandongo district police commander, all the 13 passengers aboard a canoe were drunk hence causing the mysterious accident that left 9 missing and four survivors.
Those missing/dead individuals include;
19-year-old Peter Lotyang,
Simon Lemukol aged 18,
30-year-old Simon Lotham,
John Lomuria aged 15,
Nomha Kamur aged 21,
Simon Ngole aged 21,
Joseph Lonta aged 19,
Simon Lucumwa aged 35, and
19-year-old Joseph Lokuwam.
Muhangi said police and members of the community are still in search of the missing body while the eight bodies that have been found have been conveyed to Kiryandongo Hospital Mortuary awaiting response from relatives.
The four survivors have been identified as Byewaso Godfrey 36 years, Muleka Bosco 30 years old while the other two who were operating the canoe are Lukwampe Peter 18 years old and Locire Simon 14 years old.
