Residents of Binyonyi A Village in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City, were left in deep sorrow after a 30-year-old woman and her seven-month-old baby died in a horrifying accident when they fell into a hidden septic tank within their rental compound.
The victims were identified as Haula Nassaka, popularly known as Haawa, and her infant child. According to neighbours, Nassaka had been doing her laundry and hanging clothes outside when tragedy struck. Without realizing it, she stepped on a weak section of the septic tank that had been carelessly covered with soil. The ground suddenly caved in, causing both mother and baby—who was tied to her back—to fall into the open pit.
Witnesses said they heard desperate cries for help and rushed to the scene, only to see Nassaka’s hands disappearing into the ground before silence followed. Police firefighters and local residents worked together to retrieve the bodies from the tank, but it was too late to save them.
Florence Nantongo, the local village chairperson, explained that the landlord had irresponsibly covered the septic tank with soil and planted vegetables on top of it, making it look like ordinary ground. “No one could tell there was a tank beneath. It was completely hidden. That’s why she unknowingly stepped right on it,” Nantongo said.
Binyonyi B LC I Chairperson, Hajj Muhammad Ssentengo, called on landlords to take serious measures to secure septic tanks, saying that such negligence puts tenants’ lives in grave danger. He urged all property owners to ensure tanks are properly sealed and reinforced to prevent further loss of lives.
Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, Twaha Kasirye, confirmed the incident and said investigations are underway to establish what exactly caused the collapse. The bodies were taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination.
This tragic event has sparked outrage and grief among residents, who are now demanding stronger safety regulations for property owners to prevent such avoidable accidents from ever happening again.