Teenager dies after falling in a pit latrine

Tororo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Emmanuel Ochieng, 16, a primary seven pupil at Industrial View Primary school in Tororo municipality has died after falling into a pit latrine at home. Ochieng, a resident of Bison B village in Western division died on Wednesday morning at a health facility where he was rushed after falling into the pit latrine that collapsed on him on Tuesday evening.

His uncle Stephen Odur, says that the teenagers returned home at around 5pm from school, greeted him and proceeded on his way. He however says that 5 minutes later he had an alarm from his children that Ochieng had sunk in the pit latrine.

He said it took them over 2 hours to retrieve Ochieng, who had already gone into a coma from the pit latrine and rushed him to Tororo General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Martin Okello Katandi, one of the residents says that the pit latrine which killed Ochieng was old and dilapidated.

Eridad Ochola, the deceased’s teacher at Industrial view primary school said that Ochieng left the school a few minutes after completing his last mock examination papers only to hear that he got stuck in a pit latrine.

He described Ochieng as one of the brightest candidates that they had hoped would secure for the school a first grade in the forthcoming primary leaving examinations. Western Division chairperson Jamal Al Manyadi described the incident as unfortunate.

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