Fire Kills 19 Ugandan School Children

[CHEF GIRL]

KAMPALA, Uganda-Sobbing Ugandan parents sifted through the ashes of a school dormitory Tuesday, searching for their daughters after a fire swept through the building, killing 19 schoolgirls and two adults.
The doors were locked from the outside, trapping some of the girls when the fire broke out as they slept, according to a worker at the Buddo school.There were 58 girls in the dormitory, but some managed to squeeze through the narrow windows and escape, said teacher Frederick Bugmbe.
Police said there were signs the fire may have been deliberately set. "Preliminary investigations indicate that it was homicide," Police Inspector General Kale Kaihura told reporters at the scene.
By the time firefighters reached the school, most of the dormitory had burned down and part of the roof and inner walls had collapsed. The fire destroyed almost all the mattresses and children's clothing and the heat
was warped the metal bed frames.Hundreds of parents arrived at the school, which has around 1,000 students, to search for their children. The school is seven miles from the capital, Kampala.
Police were still searching the site for more bodies.School worker James Kiiza said the doors had been locked from the outside. He said there was no electricity at the time of the fire, but that the school does not permit the use of candles.