- 19 Ugandan girl students of Buddo Primary School, 12km from the capital, Kampala, were killed by an overnight fire that gutted their dormitory.
Two adults also died in the incident that had been worsened by the locking of the dormitory doors from outside. Though the dormitory had 63 beds, but it was not clear how many children were occupying it at the time of the outbreak. Several student survivors have been rushed to Mulago hospital, with some in critical condition.
Ugandan police have launched investigations into the cause of the fire that started at 10pm on Monday. However, preliminary investigations linked the incident to homicide.
As rescuers tried to retrieve burnt pieces of bodies, sad-stricken parents kept wailing at the top of their voices.
Before the incident, staff of Buddo Primary School embarked on strike over unpaid salaries. The school is one of the best private schools in Uganda.
This was the third deadly fire incident to strike Ugandan schools within two years.
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