By Madhuri Dey
Kampala, Uganda, Mar 18, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Kasubi tombs, located in the Ugandan capital Kampala, were burnt down in a massive fire on the night of Wednesday. The tombs are considered world heritage sites, as per the status granted to them by the UNESCO. The Kasubi tombs were constructed in 1882, and later began to be used by the members of the kingdom of Buganda as a royal burial ground. After the fire, little remained of the tombs, which are considered by the members of the Buganda community to be sacred. After the fire was extinguished, many of the Bugandan people were spotted making their way to the tombs, where they lit fires and sang the national anthem.

It was not clear what had caused the fire at such a massive scale, something that led to a riot. Fights broke out between the security forces of Uganda and the members of the ethnic group. The fights started when the rioters attempted to stop the President of the country, Yoweri Museveni, as he was about to pay a visit to the five destroyed tombs. The guards accompanying the President opened fire at the rioters, ending up injuring five of them, and killing two.

According to the authorities, it is not yet certain as to who had actually killed those people. However, the matter is being investigated, and Kale Kaihura, the Inspector General of Police, said that the shootings had been uncalled for. He has also declared that all those who will be found guilty of the crime would be punished. The next week is going to be in mourning in memory of the fire and the subsequent killings, as announced by the king of Buganda.