Illegal power connection destroys hostel
Some learners of Oshela Senior Secondary School at Okongo were left only with their school uniforms after their belongings were destroyed by a fire that gutted one of the hostel blocks on Monday afternoon.
The Ohangwena education director, Isak Hamatwi, said a preliminary investigation indicated that an illegal power connection at the boys' hostel caused the fire.
No casualties were reported.
Hamatwi said one of the learners had apparently connected a radio with exposed wires.
“One hostel block caught fire on Monday afternoon while learners were attending their afternoon studies. The room where it started was completely gutted by the fire.
“It later spread to other rooms through the ceilings, making the whole hostel block uninhabitable.
It is reported that the fire was caused by an illegal connection of a radio on exposed wires by learners,” Hamatwi said.
Since there is no fire brigade in Okongo, those who came to fight the fire could only use the school's fire extinguishers.
The school's acting principal Eunike Shinyongo confirmed that the fire started while the learners were studying and workers and learners started fighting the fire.
“We were later assisted by the police and other officials. We managed to prevent it from spreading to other blocks. It caused severe damage to the learners' belongings and school property,” Shinyongo explained.
She said that a few teachers at the school have expressed interest to assist learners who lost their belongings.
The director said investigations continued and he was waiting for the school principal to report.
“For now we cannot really say the one who caused the fire will be held accountable because investigations are still under way,” he said.
Hamatwi added that learners were moved to other hostel blocks, where space was available because grades 10 and 12 had finished writing examinations and gone home.
When contacted for comment yesterday, the school's acting principal, Eunike Shinyongo, said she was compiling a report on the incident and could not comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
The Ohangwena education director, Isak Hamatwi, said a preliminary investigation indicated that an illegal power connection at the boys' hostel caused the fire.
No casualties were reported.
Hamatwi said one of the learners had apparently connected a radio with exposed wires.
“One hostel block caught fire on Monday afternoon while learners were attending their afternoon studies. The room where it started was completely gutted by the fire.
“It later spread to other rooms through the ceilings, making the whole hostel block uninhabitable.
It is reported that the fire was caused by an illegal connection of a radio on exposed wires by learners,” Hamatwi said.
Since there is no fire brigade in Okongo, those who came to fight the fire could only use the school's fire extinguishers.
The school's acting principal Eunike Shinyongo confirmed that the fire started while the learners were studying and workers and learners started fighting the fire.
“We were later assisted by the police and other officials. We managed to prevent it from spreading to other blocks. It caused severe damage to the learners' belongings and school property,” Shinyongo explained.
She said that a few teachers at the school have expressed interest to assist learners who lost their belongings.
The director said investigations continued and he was waiting for the school principal to report.
“For now we cannot really say the one who caused the fire will be held accountable because investigations are still under way,” he said.
Hamatwi added that learners were moved to other hostel blocks, where space was available because grades 10 and 12 had finished writing examinations and gone home.
When contacted for comment yesterday, the school's acting principal, Eunike Shinyongo, said she was compiling a report on the incident and could not comment.
ILENI NANDJATO
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