Four Children Killed in Busia Primary School Fire

The police in Busia are investigating the cause of a fire that occurred at Busia Victory Primary School in Kisenyi B Village, Busia Municipality, Busia District, which resulted in the deaths of four children and minor injuries to one person.

According to IP Mugwe J. Moses, Acting PRO of Bukedi South Region, the Fire and Rescue team from Busia Police Station received a call about the incident on March 18, 2024, around 0100Hrs.  The team responded promptly and managed to extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading to other buildings.

Unfortunately, four young boys lost their lives, and their bodies were severely burnt.

The school Director identified the deceased as Oburu John Richard from P.4, Abdul Ali from P.3, Magero James from P.5, and Adero Makhoha from P.6. The survivor with minor injuries is Egesa Alvin from P.1, currently undergoing treatment at BMK Clinic in Busia Municipality.

The building affected was a boys’ dormitory accommodating 62 pupils, and all belongings were destroyed in the fire. It is reported that the fire broke out while the children were sleeping and while the others managed to escape, the deceased are believed to have been unable to find the exit due to smoke.

The bodies of the deceased have been moved 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 identification of the deceased individuals.

“Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, conducted by police fire experts and Criminal Investigations officers. We offer our condolences to the grieving families and ask for patience and calm as the investigations continue. We are committed to keeping everyone informed of the progress of the investigation,” said Mugwe.”