Fire burns Islamic school dormitory in Wakiso

Police are investigating the cause of a fire that burnt a girls’ dormitory at Bilal Islamic Institute, Kakiri Campus in Wakiso District.
The Thursday 8pm inferno left students personal effects including, blankets, suitcases, mattresses, and books among others, destroyed.According to the eyewitnesses, the incident happened when students were attending preps.
“It was barely five minutes after  our students had gone for preps , when a group of boys running from their wing shouted at the top of their voices that fire had gutted the girls’ dormitory,’ Mr Abdulhim Walusimbi, a school warden said told Daily Monitor on Friday.
Rescuers, including teachers, students and support staff used fire extinguishers mounted at various locations within the school   to control the fire, but the flames could not stop.“Others fetched water in buckets and jerry cans, but to put out the fire, but it continued and many items got destroyed,” he added.
By the time the Police fire prevention and rescue team arrived at the scene two hours later, the roof of the ill-fated dormitory housing Senior Two girls had collapsed, but helped to control the fires from spreading to other dormitories. All Senior Two girls slept in the mosque throughout Thursday night.
The fire has left students stranded, especially candidates, after losing their books, just a few days away to the beginning of their Ordinary level examinations on Monday.“In the process of removing personal effects from neigbouring dormitory housing Senior Four candidates, their reading materials got destroyed,” one of the students said.
A source that preferred anonymity told Monitor that a Senior Two female student is suspected to have started the fire after developing a misunderstanding with her colleagues.The suspect has since been handed over to the police for further interrogation.The source further revealed that some students in the boarding section carry petrol fuel which they use to clean their shoes and others were spotted having matchboxes inside their suitcases whose use is yet to be established.
“There is a need for intensified monitoring of students, especially on the reporting day to ensure such items do not enter into the school premises,” the source advised.The learners were sent home for four days as the school administration makes arrangements to repair the building.Mr Patrick Onyango, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, said police swiftly responded to the distress call and fire was extinguished. He noted that the dormitory was housing about 96 girls, but no fatalities were recorded.
“Let schools comply with the Ministry of Education guidelines of avoiding triple decker beds and also equip themselves with fire extinguishers to help them in such instances,” he said. This incident happened barely a day after fire broke out at Wilton Primary School in Mityana District and pupils lost most of their properties, including suitcases, blankets, mattresses, and uniforms among others.