Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 Students Stranded as Fire guts St. Aloysius Girls’ Secondary School Dormitory Block :: Uganda Radionetwork
One of the students told URN on condition of anonymity that they were attending night preps when they saw flames emerging from the Elizabeth and Gonzaga dormitory block. She said non of them was injured since they were revising when the fire started around 9 pm.
Hundreds of students of St. Aloysius Girls’ Secondary School Kitanga in Kashambyasub-county in Rukiga district are counting losses following a fire outbreak that gutted their dormitory Wednesday night.
One of the students told URN on condition of anonymity that they were attending night preps when they saw flames emerging from the Elizabeth and Gonzaga dormitory block. She said non of them was injured since they were revising when the fire started around 9 pm.
According to the student, th fire reduced their property including beddings, beds,mattresses, clothes, metallic cases, and books among others into ashes. The fire also caused extensive damage to the roof of the dormitory block.
Students with the help of staff and residents tried to put off the fire using small fire extinguishers and water in vain. It took the intervention of fire officers under the Command of Moses Muhanguzi, the head of the police fire and rescue services team in Kigezi region to extinguish the flames.
Most students spent the night in the cold in the school compound pondering their next move. At around midnight, the school chaplain Rev. Fr. Marius Asiimwe was seen trying to comfort the students while advising them to relocate and occupy one of the classrooms. He also encouraged the nonaffected students to share beddings with their colleagues who lost everything to the fire.
//Cue in: “the other class…
Cue out: …so much.”//
The school head, Sister Florence Busingye declined to comment on the matter, saying that she was mad with the false rumor doing rounds that the fire had claimed the lives of three students. Moses Muhanguzi, the head of the police fire and rescue services team in Kigezi region also declined to comment, saying that police will release a statement later today. Similar fire incidents have been reported in several western Ugandan schools in the past few weeks.
On June 27th, 2022, there was a fire outbreak at Mbarara View high school in Katete Mbarara City South Division, which affected the administration block. In the same month, a fire gutted the Boy's dormitory at St. Andrews Secondary School Rubindi in Mbarara District and destroyed students' property.
On June 20, a fire gutted a boys’ dormitory at Haven High School in Bundibugyo district leaving three students injured and several others stranded. On June 7, 2022, another gutted four boys’ dormitories at Bwera Secondary School in Mpodwe Lhubiriha Town Council, Kasese District. Police are yet to issue a conclusive report on the fire incidents.
