Masaka SS fire causes loss of property

According to the Police, the fire started at 8:00 a.m. and is being investigated to find out the root cause.

Police have also communicated that items such as mattresses, shoes, suitcases, clothes, and books were destroyed during the fire on the second floor of the building, which was the most affected, but haven’t indicated whether any lives were lost.

“We first heard a big sound, and in a few minutes, a fire started and quickly spread to the rest of the dormitory, fueled by the highly flammable mattresses,” a female student only identified as Sumayyiyah told this website.

Pulse Uganda has since learned that the gutted, two-story dormitory accommodated 47 senior five and six female students.

The school head teacher, Hajj Musa Musoke Mpungu, asked parents to stay calm as police continue to investigate the actual cause of the inferno.

“No student was lost in the fire, except the two girls who fainted following the incident. All occupants of the affected dormitory are safe, but their properties were all destroyed. The fire brigade team arrived in time and prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings,” he said.

Southern regional acting police spokesperson, Mr. Jamada Wandera, said the fire could have been the result of an electrical short circuit.

“Our team is still on the ground to gather more information to establish the actual cause. We ask parents to stay calm since the situation is now under control,” Wanmdera said.

Founded in 1954, Masaka SS, which is among the largest secondary schools in the country, has a student population of 4000, with the majority of them day scholars.