Two pupils dead in Butaleja after dilapidated school wall collapses on them

Butaleja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two pupils of Golden Heart Nursery and Primary School in Busabi Sub County in Butaleja district have been killed after being hit by the wall of their classroom block they were trying to demolish.

One of the deceased pupils has been identified as Innocent Maholo, a P.3 pupil while details of the other pupil were not immediately available by press time. Three other pupils sustained injuries from the wall that collapsed on Monday evening.

The pupils were reportedly demolishing the dilapidated classroom block, whose roof was blown off by heavy rains. Rachel Nkoko, the Butaleja  Deputy Resident District Commissioner, says that one of the pupils died on the spot while the other died at Busolwe General Hospital.

She said the director of the school Boniface Owor has been arrested and detained at the Butaleja Central Police Station.

Parents of the school wondered why the school administrators would use learners to pull down the structure, which was in a sorry state than hiring casual laborers for the same.

Nelson Weere whose son died said after the incident, the teachers and the school administrators fled the school and left the learners without any help only to be rescued by the neighbors.

Moses Mugwe, the Bukedi South Police Spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying that there was negligence by the school administrators leading to an incident that resulted in the learner’s death.

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URN