Fire guts tissue factory

Oct 14, 2014

A huge fire gutted a paper tissue factory in Kampala''s Industrial Area late Tuesday afternoon causing extensive damage and leaving colossal loses

By Steven Candia

 

A huge fire gutted a paper tissue factory in Kampala's Industrial Area late afternoon causing extensive damage and leaving colossal loses. The fire broke out at Superfine Industries Ltd., manufactures of toilet papers and napkins among others at about 2:10pm.

 

Given the intensity of the flames, it took the combined efforts of the police fire brigade and Fire Safety Systems more than three hours to contain the inferno that threatened nearby structures, along Mulwana Road.

 

Up to 10 fire trucks belonging to the police and Fire Safety Systems, a private firm, were rushed to the scene and took part on battling the fire, blocking the road, triggering off traffic jams on roads linking to Industrial Area.

 

Strong afternoon winds combined with highly inflammable materials (huge reels of paper) in the store to add impetus to the raging flames that consumed two warehouses, causing the roof of one to cave in. By 6:00pm the police was still battling the inferno.

 

The director of police in charge special duties in the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Andrew Sorowen rushed to the scene. 

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A source at the factory said the fire could have been caused by a power surge owing to repeated power outages that hit the factory before the fire broke out. Photos by Enock Kakande

“I was alerted about the fire shortly after 2:00pm,” Sorowen said adding that the damage was extensive.  

 

Chief Fire Officer Joseph Mugisa said the fire was massive which required massive deployment.

 

“Fortunately we had the capacity and right now we are only mopping up,” Mugisa said. 

 

By press time, police had not established the cause of the fire. Í think we should be able to do that and also estimate the loss later,” Mugisa said.

 

However, a source at the factory said the fire could have been caused by a power surge owing to repeated power outages that hit the factory before the fire broke out.  

 

“I think when the power came back it was at a very high voltage,” an employee at the factory said.

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