Fire guts Tropical Bank in Masaka

Fire officers put out fire that had gutted Tropical Bank . PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA

What you need to know:

  • Mr Clyde Bernard Ssembusi, the Southern Regional Fire Officer, said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit.

It was a stampede as employees and customers of Tropical Bank, Masaka Branch rushed to escape fire which had gutted the bank on Thursday.
One of the workers who accepted to talk to this reporter on conditions of anonymity said the fire detector alarmed them and so as an emergence protocol, they had to move out immediately.
“After the alarm, one of the security officers went to check what had happened but everybody was in panic since we had never experienced such a situation,” she noted.

The stampede attracted a number of people who gathered to see what had happened forcing the administrators of the bank and its Stanbic Bank counterparts who are also close to tighten security.

Employees of Tropical Bank Masaka Branch and security officers outside the bank following the fire incident. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA


“What is going on here,” asked one of the people who were now peeping through the wall fence on the bank.
By that time smoke was coming out of the bank before the fire fighting officers from Masaka central police station arrived to arrest the situation.

Mr Clyde Bernard Ssembusi, the Southern Regional Fire Officer, said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit.
“Sparks from the short circuit fell on a box which was on the ground setting fire but lucky enough, we came in time and put the fire out,” Mr Ssembusi said.
Mr Ssembusi said the employees at the bank lacked primary skills of handling fire emergencies as no one tried to use the fire extinguishers which they had.
“They could have put it out as soon as they noticed it. The fire was small but if police had delayed, it could have been worse,” he said.