Pupils killed in Masaka School fire named

By Ali Mambule

Three of the five pupils killed in a Masaka School fire have been identified.

Five pupils perished when fire gutted two School dormitories of Leos Junior Academy at Nyendo Masaka municipality Wednesday morning.

Those identified are: Cedric Zziwa aged 4, Ernest Ssali of the same age and a seven-year old Kyobe Musaazi.

Police said the remaining two bodies are yet to be identified because they were burnt to ashes.

The dead were all Primary one pupils.

The fire which started at about 3.00 am burnt Damian house in which one pupil died while the four were residing in Constance house.

 Southern Regional police commander Simon Peter Wafana confirmed the incident. He ordered for arrest of the headmaster Elly Kiyingi and the director Leonard Serwanja to answer allegations that they neglected the fire.

 Some of the residents who arrived at the scene when the fire had just started told police that the workers at the school tried to fight the fire and only invited the police after failing to control it.

"I have arrested the headmaster and director of the school to explain these allegations," Wafana told New Vision.

 He said that over congestion of the beds could have been one of the reasons why the pupils failed to escape the fire.

 The matron only identified as Asiimwe escaped with serious injuries. She was burnt while trying to save the children.
This is the second time fire guts the School in a period of two years.