School children survive dormitory fire

The burnt dormitory at St. Anthony Roman Catholic Primary School. Courtesy photo

SEMBABULE- Police in Sembabule District   are investigating circumstances under which fire burnt a dormitory on Monday at St. Anthony Roman Catholic Primary School destroying property worth millions.

According to the school head teacher, Ms Allen Musoke, by the time the dormitory caught fire, the pupils had gone for morning lessons at about 5: 30 am and no one was injured.

 The dormitory was housing boys in Primary Five, Six and Seven.

“We were shocked to see smoke coming out of the burning dormitory and our staff tried to put it out but failed,” Ms Musoke said.

She said by the time Police Fire Brigade from Masaka town arrived, pupils’ property had been burnt to ashes.

 Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Lameck Kigozi, said they are investigating the cause of the fire.

“Our team has started recording statements from the school authorities to establish how they  started a boarding section yet  St. Anthony RC  is registered as a day school,” he said.

Mr Kigozi said  the school administrators are likely to face charges of negligence.

However, Ms Musoke defended their  decision to introduce a boarding section, saying  parents agreed to have some  pupils housed at the school  especially those in upper primary  classes.

On November 11 last year, a Senior Three dormitory at St Bernard’s SS, Mannya in Rakai District was burnt, killing 11 students and injuring 48.

 On June 2, 2018, fire gutted a dormitory at Bishop Ddungu Primary School in Lwengo District.

In March the same year, fire gutted a dormitory at Greenhill Primary School in Kifuuta village,  Bukomansimbi District, destroying property worth millions.

The most devastating school fire in the last decade occurred at Budo Junior School on April 14, 2008 which left 18 pupils and two adults dead.