Girls survive dormitory fire at Masaka Secondary School

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dozens of students of Masaka Senior Secondary School narrowly escaped being killed in a dormitory fire Tuesday morning. The fire, whose source is not known, broke out in one of the dormitories at the girls’ wing in the wee hours of this morning, razing down a dormitory hosting over 50 students.

Alfred Bamugambagye, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Commander confirmed the fire. He indicates their fire and emergency rescue team swiftly responded to the incident and managed to save many of the property and lives.

Some of the eyewitnesses who were watching from outside the school fence, narrate that they learned of the fire from the loud screaming and alarm of the students at around 01:45 am. “The school’s perimeter walls are very high and the community could not easily respond, but we could see the flames through the roofs,” one of the witnesses noted.

Hajj Musa Musoke Mpuga, the school Headteacher couldn’t be reached for comment about the incident. There have been reports of student unrest in the past weeks.

Masaka Secondary, located in Masaka city center is one of the biggest traditional schools in the country. It has close to 5,000 students.

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