A tragic incident at Ngai Senior Secondary School has claimed the life of Senior One student Immaculate Ayo, following a stampede triggered by the explosion of a mobile phone battery.
Ayo died from her injuries at Anyeke Health Centre IV over the weekend. The explosion occurred in the school’s reading room, injuring 30 other students. Preliminary findings suggest the blast was caused by a phone battery secured with rubber bands and plugged into a power socket by an unidentified student. The sudden explosion caused widespread panic, leading to a stampede.
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Mobile phones are strictly prohibited in Ugandan primary and secondary schools, with possession often resulting in immediate expulsion under the country’s disciplinary guidelines.
James Shilaku, the resident district commissioner of Oyam and head of the district security committee, expressed concern over schools’ failure to uphold this ban. Beatrice Auma Okello, the district’s education secretary, admitted that keeping unauthorized devices out of schools remains a challenge, largely due to peer influence.
She stressed the importance of ongoing student sensitization, better surveillance, and the promotion of academic use of computers over mobile phones on school premises.
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