Student dies in school fire Wednesday morning started on a sad note for students and teachers at St. Joseph Senior Secondary School in Nakonyonyi in Jinja City Northern division after a viscous fire claimed a student’s life.
The fire broke out on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm in one of the dormitories housing boys, suffocating a Senior one student to death and destroying property worth millions of shilling. The deceased Emmanuel Muwumba’s lifeless body was found buried under iron sheets in the ruins of the dormitory after a roll call confirmed he was missing. 
Student dies in school fire
Students who preferred anonymity say the fire broke out as students were preparing to go for evening preps. They claim the fire broke out abruptly and started spreading fast, prompting students to flee for their lives through the tiny compact dormitory with 26 beds.
“The beds are tightly packed within each of the small rooms, which risks the safety of learners during fire outbreaks and other related disasters,” one of the students narrated
James Mubi the Kiira Region Police Spokesperson says eight other students collapsed following the loss of their property and were rushed to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for further management.
He says the Police Fire and Rescue Services worked with well-wishers to contain the fire by 9 pm. Mubi, says that a team of detectives is still investigating to establish the cause of the fire.
The school director, Moses Kisubi declined to comment about the matter, arguing that police were still investigating the matter, saying that releasing information at this stage would undermine the outcome of the investigations.
School fires have been on the rise lately over unconfirmed reasons.
On February,28, Bilal Islamic Primary and Secondary School in Bwaise had a boys dormitory razed with fire. A viscous fire gutted S1 and S2 boys dormitory on Sunday night at 8pm reducing property worth millions of shillings to ashes. No student was reported dead or injured in the outbreak, sources say learners were attending evening preps at that time.
On February, 22,fire ravaged Good Times infant Primary School Kawaala in Rubaga Division Kampala District, One pupil in Primary six identified as Amanya Mathew, an 11-year-old was was burned beyond recognition after he suffocated to death while escaping back to the burning dormitory after they had been evacuated.
On January, 15, New Crest Junior at Kibedi Day and Boarding Primary School in Kawempe Division Kampala City, lost four children after a viscous fire outbreak. The fire broke-out at 3:00 am today at the girls’ dormitory, roasting four female pupils beyond recognition and injuring three are seriously injured. The deceased aged between six and seven years have been identified as Tina Deng, 6, Nabawesigo Sheran 6, Nakawuki Hassania ,7, Nakalazi Juliana ,7.
Similarly, on January 15, 2022 a nine-year-old, Savio Mark Sserugga, a Primary Four pupil died, several other learners were injured and property burnt to ashes when a fire broke out at St John’s Primary School in Kyotera. Hassan Hiwumbire, the Kyotera District Police Commander, says the investigating team is still camping at the school, looking for clues to facilitate their inquest and arrest.
Last week in Wakiso district, St. Cecilia Primary School at Kikajjo zone, Masajja parish in Makindye-Ssabagabo caufgt fire on Sunday, while the other was recorded at Nanziga SDA Primary School in Maya on Monday. Both incidents affected the boys dormitories.
