Children among 11 killed in fire at Uganda blind school / Photo: © AFP
-
Kennedy Center: future unclear for iconic Washington arts hub
-
Nvidia, OpenAI CEOs to attend Xi dinner at White House
-
Trump claims 'infinite' Greenland security deal with Denmark
-
Anthropic picks Accenture for in-house AI safety evaluation
-
Helicopters battle wildfire threatening Ecuador's capital
-
Balogun returns as Monaco beat Lens to continue strong Ligue 1 start
-
Brentford batter Chelsea to undo Alonso's promising start
-
'Pause' on overt repression in Venezuela, but reforms still needed: HRW
-
Kane hits Bundesliga century as Bayern rout Union
-
Global stocks mixed as yen falls despite Bank of Japan rate hike
-
Trump says CNN, MS NOW, Politico banned from White House
-
Cuba hit with seventh major blackout of the year
-
Hushing and hedging: US companies retreat on climate
-
Murray out with concussion so Wentz will start for Vikings
-
Springboks to face Fiji before 2027 Rugby World Cup
-
UN chief 'deeply regrets' US visa refusal to Abbas for annual meeting
-
Nigeria miners struggled to breathe in cell before 37 died: survivors
-
England quick Carse to face no charges over alleged nightclub assault
-
McIlroy on the charge at PGA Championship as Reed withdraws
-
Mancini brings nine newcomers into the first squad of his Italy comeback
-
McIlroy on the charge at PGA Championship
-
Czechs level Davis Cup tie against USA as South Korea eye Finals
-
Crisis-wracked Volkswagen warns of 10-bn-euro hit to profits
-
New France boss Zidane confirms Mbappe as captain after naming first squad
-
Costa Rica's Grynspan tops third informal poll for UN chief: diplomat
-
California governor signs order to explore AI 'kill switch'
-
Stock markets retreat after central bank rate hikes
-
Head leads run spree as Australia win Zimbabwe ODI series
-
Russia labels director of Cannes Grand Prix winner a 'foreign agent'
-
In-form Raphinha wants to finish career at Barcelona
-
Macron warns of Russian 'hybrid' threat after meeting presidential hopefuls
-
Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman
-
UN holds third informal poll for new chief
-
Carrick confident Man Utd can 'work through' tough time
-
Kulusevski return can spark Spurs: De Zerbi
-
Mbappe ends Nike partnership to join Swiss brand On
-
Shakira to cap off world tour with Madrid 12-gig run
-
Liverpool boss Iraola puts Bournemouth love affair on hold
-
Isolated Syrian-Druze city blames Damascus for shortages
-
'A disaster' if Man City do not win says Maresca after flawless start
-
Isolated Syrian-Druze city shortages
-
Kerry James Marshall: American 'blackness' painter celebrated in Europe
-
Dutch drop Depay for Germany match in Xavi's first pick
-
Spain coach De la Fuente offers 'full support' to people of Ceuta
-
Ronaldo named in Portugal squad for Nations League
-
Russia seizes assets of Nestle, French firms over West's Ukraine support
-
Stock markets diverge after central bank rate hikes
-
England can build on World Cup 'spirit', says Tuchel
-
Anti-Assad music star makes triumphant return to Syria
-
UNESCO can be 'moderator' in AI debate: chief to AFP
Children among 11 killed in fire at Uganda blind school
Eleven people, mostly children, have been killed in a blaze that tore through a school for the blind in Uganda in the early hours of Tuesday, police and a government minister said.
"The cause of the fire is currently unknown but so far 11 deaths as a result of the fire have been confirmed while six are in critical conditions and admitted (to hospital)," the Uganda Police Force said on Twitter.
The disaster occurred at about 1 am (2200 GMT Monday) at the Salama School for the Blind in the Mukono district, east of the capital Kampala.
Police said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the inferno and more details would be released later.
"Most of the dead are children at the school and our sympathies go to the parents," Internal Affairs Minister General Kahinda Otafiire told AFP.
He said the school has been cordoned off as a "crime scene" and vowed that there would be a full investigation.
"As government we shall go to the root cause of the fire and if there are any culprits they will be apprehended and the law will take its course," he added.
- 'He is gone' -
Richard Muhimba, the distraught father of one of the dead children, told AFP: "No words can explain the pain I am going through.
"I visited my child on Saturday, he was in good health and in less than three days he is gone... Please give me time to go through this pain," said Muhimba, before hanging up.
A friend told AFP that the child was aged 15 and that Muhimba was a father of five.
Salama was built in April 1999 by the local government in Mukono and caters for children and young adults between the ages of six to 25.
The East African nation has suffered a string of deadly school fires in recent years.
In November 2018, 11 boys perished and another 20 suffered severe burns in a suspected arson attack at a boarding school in southern Uganda.
In April 2008, 18 schoolgirls burned to death along with one adult when a fire engulfed their dormitory at a junior school near the Ugandan capital.
In March 2006, at least 13 children were killed and several hurt when fire razed an Islamic school in western Uganda. In July the same year, six children died in a similar fire in the east.
G.Machado--PC
