Four girls eat oranges in school, hours later they’re dead as police begin shocking poisoning probe

• Four girls aged 9 to 11 died after reportedly eating oranges shared by another pupil at a school in Kampala, Uganda.

• Five pupils became seriously ill, with one child still receiving treatment in hospital.

• Police arrested the school's head teacher and declared the school a crime scene while investigations continue.

• Authorities are conducting post-mortems and tracing the source of the oranges to determine whether poisoning caused the tragic deaths.

What was meant to be an ordinary school day has turned into a heartbreaking tragedy in Uganda after four young girls reportedly died shortly after eating oranges shared by a classmate.

Police in Uganda are now investigating whether the fruits were poisoned following the deaths of the pupils, who attended Ta'aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre in Kampala.

The victims, aged between nine and 11, all died on Tuesday. Three reportedly passed away after being taken home, while the fourth died during emergency treatment at a hospital.

According to information released so far, eight pupils ate oranges that had been shared by another pupil during school hours. Not long after, five of the children suddenly began vomiting. Four of them later died, while the fifth child is still receiving treatment in hospital.

READ ALSO: 17-year-old arrested over murder of 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead on his way to school in US

As investigations continue, police have arrested the school's head teacher to assist with inquiries. Authorities have also sealed off the school, declaring it a crime scene while forensic investigations continue.

Medical experts are carrying out post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause of the children's deaths.

A police spokesperson, quoted by local media, said detectives would travel to the village where the oranges reportedly came from as part of efforts to establish whether the fruits were contaminated before they reached the school.

The tragedy has left parents devastated, with videos circulating on Ugandan media showing grieving families describing their children's final moments. Some parents also accused the school of failing to give clear and timely information after the children fell ill.

Police have extended condolences to the bereaved families and the affected community, adding that more details will be released as investigations progress.

READ ALSO: Missing 11-month-old baby found buried alive in dog crate as father faces attempted murder charge

The incident has also renewed concerns about the safety of children in Ugandan schools.

In recent years, the country has recorded several cases involving suspected contaminated food and exposure to harmful substances in schools. Those incidents left dozens of pupils hospitalised with symptoms such as vomiting, stomach pain and breathing difficulties.

The latest tragedy is expected to increase pressure on authorities to tighten safety measures around school feeding programmes, improve hygiene standards and strengthen monitoring to prevent similar incidents in the future.

For now, investigators are waiting for laboratory and post-mortem results, which are expected to reveal what really caused the deaths of the four young girls.