Boy, 13 dies after falling in hole while celebrating New Year : The Standard

New Year celebrations turned tragic after a 13-year-old boy fell into a deep hole at Mauko estate in Busia town. Rawlings Mungala was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital in Kisumu moments after he was removed from the 40 feet deep hole. Residents joined forces to remove the victim from the hole but the boy suffered broken hands and spine cord.  His spleen was discovered to have ruptured. Christopher Mungala, the boy's father said the son left him in the house on Monday evening just after supper to attend overnight prayers and usher in the New Year.

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He would later receive a call informing him about the accident.  "The caller told that my son slipped into a gaping ditch that was dug by a private developer who is putting up rental houses at Mauko estate," said Mungala. The densely populated estate do not have a fence with the glaring abandoned hole posing a major risk to the residents and even animals. “I rushed to the scene immediately but realised my son could be in pain since the hole was very deep," said Mungala. The victim, who was writhing in pain was first rushed to the county referral hospital where he was operated on and later referred to Oginga Odinga Teaching and referral hospital in Kisumu for specialised treatment.

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“We were surprised that our referral facility could not carry out an X-ray to determine the level of injuries the boy had sustained that night, the doctor referred us to Kisumu,” said Christopher. Despite being directed to go to Kisumu at the crack of dawn on January 1, Christopher says county ambulance arrived some minutes to 1pm. “As much as we are blaming the owner of the plot who dug the sceptic and refused to cover it on top, our referral hospital is in bad state and something must be done,” said Christopher as tears rolled his jaws. Monica Mungala wants justice to be served. She said Rawlings was not the first person to fall in the deep hall that was dug more than one year. “A child was saved from the hall that is adjacent to the one Rawlings fell in. We have seen cows falling inside but whenever we tell the owner of the he does not take action,” said Monica.

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Police visited the area after the matter was reported to Busia police station. The angry residents threatened to close the two halls if the owner will not act. Benard Mulumi said, “We shall have no other option but to close the two halls with soil to prevent deaths because the Estate is crowded and school going children use the road that is beside the two halls”.

Related Topics

Mauko estateBusiaRawlings MungalaNew year celebrations