news 10 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Deadly Gas Cylinder Blast Rocks Lira Garage, Claiming Two Lives
A tragic gas cylinder explosion at a motor garage in Lira City has resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left three others injured. The incident occurred on Saturday evening while the victims were engaged in motorcycle repairs. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/gas-cylinder-explosion-at-lira-garage-kills-two-injures-three-5627592
Tragedy struck in Lira City on Saturday evening when a gas cylinder exploded at a motor garage, claiming the lives of two mechanics and injuring three others. The devastating blast occurred around 6 PM in the Ireda Central Park Cell, Lira City East Division, amidst a busy market area.
Witnesses reported that the explosion happened while the victims, identified as James Okabo and another man known only as Daniel, were using a welding gas cylinder for motorcycle repairs. The force of the blast was significant, causing immediate fatalities.
Martin Omara, the local defense secretary for Ireda Central Park Cell, informed the police that members of the public were present in the market at the time of the incident, and some of the injured were shoppers.
Police quickly responded to the scene, led by the Divisional Police Commander for Lira City East. Statements were collected from individuals who witnessed the tragic event. North Kyoga Region Police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema confirmed that a formal investigation has been launched to determine the precise cause of the explosion.
“A case file was opened and inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact cause of the explosion, identify the injured persons, verify the particulars of the deceased, and obtain postmortem examination results,” Mr Okema stated. The bodies of the deceased were transported to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem examinations, while those injured received treatment at the same facility. The damaged motorcycles were taken to the Lira City East Division Police Station for further examination as part of the ongoing investigation.