KAMPALA, UGANDA — A massive fire has ravaged a seven-story structure on Rashid Khamisi Road in Kampala’s bustling city center, leaving behind widespread damage and raising concerns about potential fatalities.
The blaze erupted around 10:00 AM, originating from basement-level retail spaces within the Sunshine Building, a prominent landmark situated near Namayiba Bus Park and the Swarayan Indian temple in Old Kampala.
Initial investigations point to a possible chemical reaction as the source of the fire, triggered by the improper handling of stored materials in one of the shops. Musazi Henry, a local auto shop proprietor, suggested that a recent employee’s error in mixing detergent chemicals may have been the catalyst.
“Our colleague had hired someone new, and we believe they made an error mixing the chemicals, which led to the fire,” Musazi explained.
“We initially tried to extinguish the flames with water, but they only intensified, forcing us to flee.”
Vincent Segayi, Defense Secretary of Namayiba Park, witnessed the incident and described the frantic rescue efforts. “We saw huge smoke and rushed to put it out,” he said. “We managed to rescue three people from the upper floors, but had to retreat as the fire grew wild.”
Segayi confirmed that rescue teams had recovered one body, but others remained trapped. Several eyewitnesses reported that more people were still inside the hotel rooms occupying the top four floors of the building.
Uganda Police Fire Department was still battling the flames, with rescue operations ongoing by the time of publishing this story.
