Police in Kampala have launched an investigation into a fatal house fire that claimed the life of a one-year-old girl in Ssemwogere Zone, Nakawa Division, on Tuesday.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Racheal Kawala, the incident was reported by the Local Council II Chairperson after a house occupied by Simon Semwogere went up in flames with a child believed to be trapped inside.
Emergency responders, including the police fire brigade, arrived promptly and managed to extinguish the fire. However, they discovered that Evelyn Najuma, aged one, had died after reportedly suffocating inside the house.
“Preliminary findings indicate that two children had been left in the house by their mother, who had allegedly moved out to fetch water from a nearby tap,” SP Kawala said.
Police further established that the house had no electricity at the time of the fire. The deceased’s four-year-old brother is said to have fled the burning house and rushed to alert their mother, leaving the toddler inside.
“By the time the mother ran back, the roof had already collapsed on the child,” Kawala added.
Najuma’s body has since been taken to Mulago Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.
