Parents are in grief for their children who perished in a fire at a school for the visually impaired in Uganda.
On Tuesday morning, a dormitory fire resulted in the deaths of eleven people.
Jennifer Nassozi, whose six-year-old daughter was killed, stated, “I cannot convey the anguish in my heart right now.”
The origin of the fire at the school in Mukono, east of the capital Kampala, is being studied, but events of this nature are not unusual.
In 2008, one of the nation’s worst school fires occurred at Buddo Junior School. Nineteen children died.
At least 27 youngsters are believed to have slept in the impacted dormitory at the Salama School for the Blind.
Families in distress have gathered at the place.
“Nassali performed exceptionally well in school. She was such a cheerful girl “Ms. Nassozi reminisced about her daughter.
Every time we arrived at school at the beginning of a new term, her friends would greet us by shouting, ‘Nassali has arrived!’
Dr. Moses Keeya, who works at the local hospital that initially received the injured, stated that they were severely hurt and “mostly incurred injuries to the arms, legs, and chest. One of them has a severe head burn.” The Kiruddu National Hospital in Kampala has referred four children. Two patients with minor injuries have been released and sent home.
Minister of Education Joyce Kaduchu has also met with parents at the school.
“We are all quite heartbroken,” she remarked.
“Our educational system affords everyone a chance, regardless of their physical limitations. We have lost eleven children due to tragic circumstances.”
She stated that DNA testing will be required on the children’s bodies to identify them.
In the past, children using candles in their dorms after lights out and leaving them burning caused school fires.
Overcrowding and a lack of firefighting equipment at the schools have frequently impeded rescue efforts.
In March of this year, a police report stated that there had been at least 18 school fires in the preceding three months.
