5 Killed in Nairobi school fire as 4 are killed in road accident in Western Uganda

 Section of burnt dormittory

Dagoretti DC Cornelius Wamalwa point at the burnt dormittory

Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least five people -- four students and a patron -- died and several others injured in a school dormitory fire on Sunday night  in Nairobi as wave of fire hits boarding schools in the East African nation.

Regional police commander Moses Ombati said property of unknown value was burnt to ashes in the fire that started at 11 p. m. (2000 GMT) on Sunday night. "There were four students and a patron who died in the fire which started on Sunday at Le Pic Secondary School in Nairobi. Several others were injured in the inferno. The students were just lucky because people were forced to break the metal grills from outside to create exit areas for the students to escape," Ombati told Xinhua by telephone on Monday. He said there was a lot of scramble and huge smoke that prevented the students from rushing out. "The students were lucky people came to rescue them. The dormitory had permanent grills. It was very hard to rescue them and to come out," Ombati said.

The police boss said one of the victims had been rushed to the hospital with serious burns and was in critical condition. He said two of the four boys that died in the tragedy were in Form One while the two others were in Form Two.  "We suspect the fire was caused by electronic fault but we have called in experts to examine it," he said. The incident came as another fire was reported at Kirisia boys High School in Samburu Central in northwest Kenya that destroyed personal effects of students. "About 160 students' personal effects were destroyed. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) is carrying rapid need assessment," KRCS spokesperson Nelly Muluka said on Monday.On Oct. 9, a fire destroyed another school in central Kenya but there were no casualties in the Giakanja Boys Secondary School while more than 10 students were killed in separate fire incidents across the East African in the past two months.  (Xinhua)

Meanwhile at least four people including two children were killed late on Sunday and 24 others injured in a road accident in the western Ugandan district of Kiruhura, the region's police spokesperson said on Monday.

Polly Namaye, the southwestern Uganda regional police spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that the accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. local time at Kanyaryeru along Mbarara-Masaka highway after a bus belonging to Jussy Bus Company collided with a pickup truck belonging to ministry of health. "Three people died on spot. The other died on arrival at Mbarara Hospital. 14 people are admitted in critical condition and 10 others with minor injuries," she said. "The accident occurred due to over speeding. The driver of the pickup was driving at high speed. As he was overtaking, he ramped into the bus, killing three people on spot," she said. The injured are admitted at Mbarara Referral Hospital and Mayanja Memorial Hospital. Police statistics indicate that over 2,300 people die in road accidents annually in Uganda. (Xinhua)