Fire kills 11 at Uganda school for the blind

Police in Uganda are investigating a fire outbreak that killed 11 people at Salama School for the Blind in Mukono District in the wee hours of Tuesday.

According to a statement released by Ugandan authorities, the cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Six other people were admitted to Herona Hospital in Kisoga in critical condition. 

At the time of filing this story, police were yet to issue a detailed statement with the identities of the deceased and the injured.

School fires have become a common occurrence in Uganda, however, a lasting solution seems to have eluded the authorities and concerned stakeholders.

The country's Ministry of Education in March, attributed the fire outbreaks in schools to a lack of occupational permits, especially among private schools.

The ministry said schools can acquire the permits from the local government, adding that the institutions will be forced to publicly display their occupational permits to parents and visitors.

In 2008, the ministry in conjunction with the police issued a circular with a list of guidelines on how schools could address school fires and ensure the safety and security of learners. The guidelines included having emergency exits, security committees, firefighting equipment, and sickbays.

However, this seems to not have helped as many fire incidents have happened in various schools since then, claiming dozens of lives.