Police probe Masaka SS girls’ dormitory fire
A girls' dormitory at Masaka Secondary School is seen in flames. PHOTO | MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- The devastating fire started when students were sleeping, but no casualties were registered. However, it destroyed everything inside the dormitory including; mattresses, shoes, suitcases, clothes and books.
Police in Masaka City are investigating circumstances under which a girls’ dormitory at Masaka Secondary School went up in flames on Tuesday morning and students’ property worth millions was destroyed.
The devastating fire started at 2am when students were sleeping, but no casualties were registered. However, it destroyed everything inside the dormitory including; mattresses, shoes, suitcases, clothes and books.
“We first heard a big sound and in a few minutes, fire started and quickly spread to the rest of the dormitory fueled by the highly flammable mattresses,” a female student only identified as Sumayyiyah said.
The gutted dormitory accommodated 47 Senior Five and Six students.
The school head teacher, Hajj Musa Musoke Mpungu has asked parents to stay calm as police continue to investigate the actual cause of the inferno.
Hajj Musa Mpungu(2nd left) speaks to parents whose children lost property in the dormitory fire. PHOTO | MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
“No student was lost in the fire, except the two girls that fainted following the incident. All occupants of the affected dormitory are safe, but their properties were all destroyed, the fire brigade team arrived in time and prevented it from spreading to other buildings," he said.
Southern Regional acting police spokesperson, Mr Jamada Wandera, said the fire could have been as a result of an electrical short circuit.
“Our team is still on the ground to gather more information to establish the actual cause. We ask parents to stay calm since the situation is now under control," he said.
Founded in 1954, Masaka SS, which is among the traditional secondary schools in the country, has a student population of 4,000 with the majority of them day scholars.
