Documents reduced to ashes as fire guts Interpol offices in Namisindwa

Fire has gutted International Police (Interpol) offices at the Uganda-Kenya border in Lwakhakha town council in Namisindwa district.

The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon, reducing all crucial documents and files to ashes. Bonny Wekesa, an eyewitness, says that residents rushed with jerry cans filled with water to extinguish the flames that had already destroyed all the files.

He explained that since the police fire tender truck was stationed in Mbale town, it took over three hours for it to arrive, by which time the locals had already managed to put out the fire.

Namisindwa deputy resident district commissioner Julie Namara confirmed the fire outbreak, saying that preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by an electric short circuit. She, however, says that further investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.