Dozens of passengers travelling from Kalangala Island to Masaka escaped unhurt on Thursday after a vehicle being transported aboard the MV Pearl ferry caught fire shortly before the vessel reached Bukakata landing site on the Masaka mainland.
The incident occurred as the ferry, operated by Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited, approached the Bukakata pier. The fire reportedly broke out in one of the vehicles on the ferry, causing panic among passengers.
The ferry crew, assisted by Uganda Police officers, responded quickly and managed to put out the fire before the vessel docked. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Michael Duncan Ensinikweri, the Officer in Charge of Traffic in Kalangala District, said preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was triggered by overheated batteries in one of the vehicles being transported to Masaka.
According to Ensinikweri, the ferry was only a few metres from the docking point when the fire started, enabling the crew and police personnel to intervene before the situation escalated.
He described the incident as minor but said it provided an opportunity to assess the emergency preparedness of the ferry crew and security personnel.
“This was a minor incident that does not need to be blown out of proportion. It has just proved the ferry team’s readiness. We just need to use it for our security evaluation. Let no alarm be caused. The ferry transport system remains safe, and security management remains up to the task,” Ensinikweri said.
Ensinikweri said police had not yet established the extent of damage to the affected vehicle. He added that a detailed report would be issued after the inspection and assessment are completed.
By Friday evening, Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited had not released an official statement on the incident.
However, the company’s Public Relations Officer, Joseph Mulindwa, said ferry services continued normally after the fire was extinguished.
The MV Pearl is one of the vessels serving the Kalangala-Bukakata route across Lake Victoria, a key transport link for passengers and goods travelling between the Ssese Islands and the Masaka mainland.
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