Unconfirmed sad news coming from Rakai District indicates that at least 10 students are dead after fire gutted a dormitory at St Bernard's Mannya Secondary School, in Kifamba Sub County last night.
According to Latif Zaake, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Commander who confirmed the incident, police did not have the exact number of casualties by this morning but an emergency response team was dispatched to rescue the situation.
It is alleged that some unknown persons could have locked the boys' dormitory before setting it on fire, making it hard for rescue teams to struggle to unlock the padlocks outside the dormitory doors, in an effort to save the children. By the time the team succeeded opening the door, an unconfirmed number had lost their lives.
A resident who says he rushed to the scene claims they recovered bodies of over 12 students by 03:15 a.m. and several other suffocated by the smoke.
Many other students were rushed to health facilities for medical attention.
