Police Identify Victims who Perished in Sunrise Hotel Inferno

The Police have identified the names of two people who died in the Wednesday fire that gutted the Sunrise Hotel Building in Kampala.

The fire, which started at around 10:00 am, was in the basement shops of the Sunshine Hotel Building, located near Namayiba Bus Park and the Swarayan Indian worship center in Old Kampala.

It is believed to have been caused by an informal liquid soap-making chemical reaction. 

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, has identified the victims as Akot Akol Arop Chan, a South Sudan National and Shineni Mwinsadi, a Tanzanian national. 

Police say that among the 17 injured victims,  9 have been transferred to Mulago referral Hospital.

“Investigations aimed at determining the exact cause of the fire is ongoing, but also to determine the number of property damage and potential architectural issues, “O nyango said.

Police have also said that the preliminary findings indicate that the building lacked fire suppression systems, which may have exacerbated the extent of the damage.

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was concerned about the failure by all the fire teams that made it to the scene on time to put off the fire.

Lukwago further criticized the rescue mission’s methods, calling them “terrible and risky.” He expressed dismay that rescuers had laid down mattresses on the ground and instructed people trapped on the sixth floor to jump, rather than employing more sophisticated rescue techniques.

The annual crime report of 2024, recently released by the Directorate of Fire and Rescue Services, revealed a 13.4% increase in fire incidents across the country.

According to police records, 1,280 fire incidents occurred in 2024, a significant increase from the 1,104 incidents reported in 2023. Notably, the Kampala Metropolitan area recorded the highest number of fire incidents, with 993 cases.