By Our Reporter
BUSIA
A Mid night fire has led to the death of four pupils of Busia Victory Primary School, located in Kisenyi B Village, Busia Municipality, Busia District.
According to a police statement issued by John Mugwe, the South Bukedi Police Spokesperson, the fire is suspected to have started shortly after midnight on the night of Sunday 18th March, 2024.
He says the Fire and Rescue team from Busia Police Station received a call about the incident on the 18th of March 2024, at around 0100Hrs when the children were sleeping.
The team responded immediately and successfully extinguished the fire, preventing its spread to other buildings. Unfortunately, four juvenile boys lost their lives, and their bodies were severely burnt.
The school Director identified the deceased as Oburu John Richard of P.4, Abdul Ali of P.3, Magero James of P.5, and Adero Makhoha of P.6. The survivor with minor injuries has been identified as Egesa Alvin of P.1, currently receiving treatment at BMK Clinic in Busia Municipality.
The affected building was a boys’ dormitory housing 62 pupils, and all properties were destroyed in the fire. The other children managed to escape the fire.
The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to Busia Health Center IV for postmortem examinations and preparation for handover to the Regional Police Surgeon for DNA analysis.
Samples from parents/relatives will also be collected for matching, ensuring the proper handover of the deceased persons to their respective families.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, led by police fire experts and Criminal Investigations officers. We extend our condolences to the bereaved families and urge patience and calmness as the investigations progress. We commit to providing updates on the investigation’s progress.
