Bomb Blast Leaves Otuke Teenager with Serious Injuries

What the report says

Dokolo Post reports that an 18-year-old man was badly injured after a suspected explosive device detonated while he was weeding a maize garden in Otuke District, northern Uganda. The incident happened on Monday morning in Otagolo Village, Alir Parish, Ogwete Sub-county, according to police. The victim was identified as Ocen Emmanuel, and the report says he was working with his grandfather, Odwe Augustavio, when he hit a buried object with a hand hoe.

Police said the blast caused serious injuries to Emmanuel’s neck, right chest and stomach, and that his left arm was severed. He was taken to Orum Health Centre IV for treatment. The newspaper said police and military personnel visited the scene, where officers from the Scene of Crime Office, ASTU and the Alir UPDF Barracks documented the area, recovered fragments thought to be from the device, and recorded witness statements.

North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema said preliminary findings suggest the device may have been in the ground for many years, possibly linked to past insurgency in the region. Police stressed that the exact nature and origin of the object are still under investigation.

The report also noted Okema’s warning to residents to be careful when cultivating land in areas affected by past conflict and to avoid touching or moving suspicious objects, but instead report them to authorities immediately.