14 students injured in Mbale school fire

At least 14 students of Nakaloke Islamic School in Mbale district are admitted to hospital  after being injured in a fire that gutted the school on Saturday morning.

The fire that is suspected to have started from one of the dormitories near the Mosque, reduced students’ belongings such as books, clothes and mattresses to ashes before it was contained by Police Fire Brigade.

Mr Mustafa Waikasi, the Director of Studies at the school said that 14 students were admitted.

He said four students are in a critical condition while those who were not injured have been relocated to the primary section of the school.    

“Police quickly responded and contained the fire before it could spread to other parts of the school,” Mr Waikasi said.  

He said police are yet to confirm the cause of the blaze. 

Some previous school fire incidents

July 30, 2003: Fire razes a dormitory at Masheruka High School, Bushenyi District destroying property.

August 2, 2003: More than 60 students of St Mary’s College Rushoroza in Kabale District lose their property in a dormitory fire.

September 26, 2003: At least 150 pupils of Namawojjolo Islamic Primary School in Mukono District lose property in a dormitory fire.

October 27, 2003: Fire guts the office of Ntare School head teacher in Mbarara District destroying several documents.

February 25, 2004: About 90 S.4 students of Wampeewo Ntake Secondary School in Kasangati, Wakiso District are sent home after a fire guts their dormitory.

March 6, 2004: Property worth millions of shillings is destroyed after a fire guts a dormitory at Muntuyera High school in Ntungamo District.

March 15, 2004: One hundred twenty students of King’s College, Budo lose property when the double-storey England dormitory catches fire.

April 12, 2004: More than 30 Kibuli Secondary School students lose their property when an arsonist torches Aga Khan dormitory.

July 10, 2004: A dormitory at Naalya Secondary School goes up in flames killing Francis Obukwi,16, a Senior Three student.

October 11-15, 2004: Students of Nabumali High School, Gombe Secondary School and Kabasanda Technical Institute stage violent strikes and torch buildings.

November 11, 2004: A fire breaks out at Grapa Parents Junior School in Lungujja, Rubaga Division, razing a make-shift structure that housed classrooms.

October 12, 2004: Property worth millions of shillings is destroyed when a fire guts Pekasa Hostel in Bugolobi which accommodated Makerere University Business School students.

2004: About 20 schools are burnt in strikes and mysterious fires. Some of the schools that suffered fires include Wampewo SS, Bishop Cyprian Kihangire SS, Luzira SS, Wairaka College, St Mary’s College, Rushoroza, Muntuyera SS, Kings College Budo, Kibuli SS, Lords Maede Vocational Institute, Seeta High School, Naalya SS, City view College, Kabalega SS and Bilal Islamic Institute.

July 7, 2005: Fire burns the offices of the head teacher and bursar at Lango College in Lira District destroying valuable documents.

August 15, 2005: Fire guts a boys’ dormitory at Kakungulu Memorial Secondary School in Kibuli, destroying property worth millions of shillings.

November 21, 2005: Fire guts Nyakasura School’s dormitory destroying property worth about Shs200 million.

March 30, 2006: At least 13 pupils of Kabarole Islamic Primary School in Fort Portal die when a fire gutted their dormitory.

July 31, 2006: Six pupils die and several others are injured at Jinja Army Boarding Primary School (Gadaffi Barracks) when their dormitory catches fire.

April 14, 2008: Fire guts Nassolo dormitory at Budo Junior School, Wakiso District, killing 18 pupils and two adults.

April 2008: Fire guts a dormitory at St Savio Primary School, Kisubi. No pupil is injured.

September 1, 2015: A girls dormitory at Nyendo Modern Primary School in Masaka Municipality goes up in flames. The inferno kills Asmat Najjuko ,a Primary Two pupil .

June 2, 2018: Fire guts a dormitory at Bishop Ddungu Primary School in Lwengo District.

March 2018: Fire guts a dormitory at Greenhill Primary School in Kifuuta Village, Kitanda Sub-county in Bukomansimbi District.

November 11 2018: 11 students St Bernard’s Secondary School Mannya in Rakai District, died in  fire that burnt a school dormitory.