Another fire at Mukumu boys

Written By:KBC correspondent,    Posted: Mon, Mar 19, 2012

Thirty-four students of St Ignatius Mukumu Boys in Kakamega East District were injured in yet another dormitory fire Monday morning. The students reportedly inhaled gas from fire extinguishers while some tripped and fell in a stampede to salvage their property. This is the second fire in less than a week. The school has consequently been closed down for a week to allow for a proper assessment of facilities. The fire, coming barely a week after another that destroyed property worth millions, is suspected to have been caused by an electric fault. School Principal Mr Dennis Munyendo said the students saw smoke billowing at the dormitory area and heard crackling sound while in the assembly at 7.15 this morning. The fire had already destroyed property belonging to 70 students by the time it was put off with the help of fire fighters from Kakamega Municipal Council.  "Because two dormitories were destroyed in a span of a week, we are not able to keep the students here because they suffered trauma, some of them are scared especially the young boys who joined us recently," said the principal. In the first incident on Wednesday last week, eleven students suffered bruises while attempting to salvage property when one of the dormitories caught fire while they were studying at night. Fourteen of the 34 injured students were treated and discharged at Mukumu Mission Hospital while the remaining 20 are still under observation. Anxious parents made frantic calls to the principal to establish the safety of their children while those living near the school camped there immediately they got information of the fire. The principal said thorough assessment of electrical fittings will be done by Ministry of Public Works officers adding that the losses could run into millions  just like in the first incident. "Although we have lost two dormitories that accommodate  140 students, we have lost also the use of two other dormitories that in total we have about 400 students displaced," he added. He appealed for assistance from well-wishers in putting up new dormitories saying it might not be easy to accommodate the students when they come back without the facilities in place. Western Provincial Commissioner Samuel Kilele together with Provincial Security team and the provincial education officers visited the school.