Emilian Kayima, A Police Spokesperson said on Wednesday that 10 students have been killed in an alleged arson attack targeting a school dormitory in central Uganda.

The tenth victim succumbed to his wounds while being admitted at a local hospital.

The Ministry of Education said forty other students “escaped with injuries of varying degrees” from the fire that swept through the dormitory early on Monday.

Police say they are investigating the fire as a “deliberate attack” although the motive is still unclear.

The fire has renewed calls for schools to have safety equipment, including fire extinguishers.

In 2008 a similar fire at a school dormitory near the capital Kampala left at least 19 pupils dead.