By Robert Segawa
Two people have been confirmed dead while 16 others rushed in different hospitals with serious burn injuries following the fire outbreak that gutted Sunrise Hotel located along Rashid Khamis Road opposite Mukwano mall in central business district of Kampala.
The deadly fire broke out on the ground floor around 10 am filling the corridors and rooms with thick smoke and hindering evacuation efforts.
The directorate of fire and rescue services and emergency responders swiftly intervened deploying six fire trucks with fire fighters and patrol cars to support fire fighters.
According to Patrick Onyango Kampala metropolitan police spokesman two male adults died in the inferno that gutted hotel rooms left property worth billions of shillings were destroyed.
Onyango further adds that residents acted first to rescue some property like beer, sodas, TVs, mattresses, blankets and other things were stolen by a group of youth.
Onyango identified the first victim as Akot Akol Arop Chan aged 45, a national of South Sudan and the second body of unidentified man both transported to the City Mortuary at Mulago for autopsy.
He adds that Territorial police and ambulances together with red cross ambulances are still on the scene as the operation is ongoing.
The Rescue teams remain on the scene, working to access all rooms and confirm the extent of the damage. However, their efforts are being hindered by dense smoke, which is severely limiting visibility.
Despite the challenges, the team has managed to access a few rooms, and the operation is ongoing.
