A percolator is believed to have caused a fire that gutted Biko Hostel, a students’ residence in Bugolobi.
According to eye witnesses, the fire started at 3 p.m. from one room in which a resident had left with a percolator plugged into a socket during a power blackout.
But police say it was hard to tell what exactly caused the fire arguing it was still premature to make a pronouncement.
Students say that supply to the hostel had been disconnected from 5 a.m. on Monday with flucuations thereafter.
The hostel which has been occupied by close 600 students of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) had only about 60 by the time it caught fire.
AIGP Joseph Mugisa, the director fire prevention and rescue services told reporters that police first sent in one truck but was overwhelmed by the fire that was spreading through a thermoplastic used in roof construction known as (PVC) before they called for reinforcements.
Property and the roof on the upper floor were all lost. Police say they stopped the fire from accelerating to the lower floors and as a result all the property on the three floors were saved.
According to AIGP Mugisa, all occupants have been asked to vacate the building and it will first be assessed by a team of experts for safety and integrity in order for it to habitable again.
He blamed the hostel owners of failing to put firefighting equipment including hydrants, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers which he says was a huge risk to the investment.
