Vitafoam Mattress Factory gutted by fire

A September 28 morning fire has gutted the Vitafoam Mattress Factory in Njeru, leaving many mattresses in ashes.

The cause of the fire was yet to be established.

But workers were seen struggling to salvage mattresses from the inferno.

One of these was hit by a falling block and has been hospitalized.

A cloud of smoke hung over the multi-billion factory located in Bukaya West Village, Njeru Central Division in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District.

The inferno comes on the heels of a string of other fire incidents, including one that destroyed the Makerere University Main Building, the other that gutted the Parliament of Uganda and Electoral Commission (EC) vehicles.

Later, UPDF’s Rapid Deployment Capability Center (URDCC) and Police put out the fire at the factory that has stood since 1975.

Brig Peter Omola commanded the rescue operation at the factory formed from a merger of Uganda Industrial Properties Ltd and M/s Vita PLC of UK in 1975.