Fire at School for the Blind Leaves 11 Girls Dead in Uganda

On Tuesday, a deadly fire outbreak that killed 11 children and injured six others at a school in central Uganda has reawakened fire safety concerns in schools in the east African country.

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The 1 a.m. fire that occurred in the Mukono district neighboring Kampala engulfed a girl's dormitory, housing 26 visually impaired children, leaving 11 dead and six critically injured.

Luke Owoyesigyire, spokesperson of Kampala Metropolitan Police, in a statement, said an investigation has started to establish what caused the fire at the Salam School of the Blind.

Francis Kinubi, head teacher of the school, which has a total population of 76 pupils, was quoted by the Observer, a local newspaper, as saying that the fire started from the side without power connectivity, making it hard to say that it was sparked by any power fault.

James Birungi, head of military intelligence, said while there are a lot of allegations regarding the cause of the fire, investigations will lead to the root cause. Birungi said they have heard the school has had some land wrangles and some internal management misunderstandings.

Parents gathered outside the school gate, each demanding to know whether their child is safe. Fatuma Ndisaba, Resident District Commissioner (Mukono) said that the children between the ages of 7 to 10 years were burnt beyond recognition.

"Our sympathies go to the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery. Parliament expects a proper investigation to get to the bottom of it!" said Parliament speaker Anita Among, who described the death of the 11 children as heartbreaking.

George Mutekanga, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Private Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning said a report into school fires had shown that the majority of these incidences occur in private schools. The fires were also mostly attributed to the internal intrigue within the school administrations followed by electrical issues.