Three students of Mihayo School admitted to ICU after fire incident

Tabora. Three students of Mihayo Secondary School whose two dormitories were razed by fire yesterday night, Tuesday, August 28, have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kitete Regional Hospital.

Tabora regional Police commander Emmanuel Nley told The Citizen on Wednesday, August 29, that other seven students have been hospitalized at the regional referral hospital and Saint Anna’s hospital in Ipuli.

He said the admitted students are part of 50 students who were taken to the hospital yesterday night for treatment immediately after the fire outbreak, noting that the conditions of other students who were discharged were improving.

“We have launched investigations into the incident. However, we commend cooperation we received from citizens and security organs,” he said.

He said evaluation was underway to establish the value of property and personal belongings destroyed during the incident.

School’s headmaster Salvatory Maganga said 131 mattresses and student’s personal belongings have been completely destroyed.

Fr Maganga, who was a student of the same school and who was taught by Julius Nyerere, first president of Tanzania when the school was known as Saint Mary's Secondary School pleaded for assistance from Good Samaritans.

“We request for moral and material assistance for the children, including rehabilitating the infrastructure gutted down by fire,” he pleaded.

Parents and guardians including, Ms Mwanaidi Hamis, a resident of Kanyenye in Tabora Municipality visited the school on Wednesday, August 29, after reports of the tragedy.

"I’m thankful because there is no fatality and that efforts have been made to rescue life and property, even as some students lost everything,” she said.

Three months ago, some administration blocks at Kazima Secondary School were razed by fire, and the cause of the fire is yet to be established as investigations continue.