Sunrise Hotel inferno: Building didn’t have functioning fire extinguisher
Police have said preliminary investigations have indicated that the building housing Sunrise Hotel in Old Kampala which gutted fired last week didn’t have a functioning fire extinguisher.
Two people died, several others sustained injuries and property worth millions of things when fire gutted Sunrise Hotel located along Rashid Khamis Road opposite Mukwano Mall in Kampala.
Keep Reading
Updating the country about the fire, Police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke said preliminary investigations have pointed to negligence on the side of the managers of the building which housed the hotel.
“The building had a non-functional fire extinguisher. The fire hydrant that was nearby could not event water plants,” Rusoke said.
He explained that there was sheer negligence in that below the hotel, on the same building, there was a business dealing in highly flammable chemicals but owners never cared about having a functional fire extinguisher despite living a risky life.
The fire
Preliminary police investigations have indicated that the fire started from the restaurant of the hotel, before extending to other parts.
Rusoke explained that when the fire started, occupants in the hotel became helpless and started climbing to the upper floors of the building.
He however noted that when the police fire fighting team came, they found a hard time putting out the fire due to the manner it had been built.
“There was no space where the vehicle should have passed to be near the building and have ladders clipped to rescue people in upper floors and it became a problem. This comes to the manner in which we construct buildings which is poor.”
Police said in their expert assessment, the building dint have capability to fight fire.
He insisted that buildings should be constructed in a manner which supports firefighting in case of any outbreak.
