The Malawi Police in Mulanje have arrested three Form 2 students at St Philomena Catholic Secondary School for setting a hostel on fire.
According to Mulanje Police Publicist Gresham Ngwira, the girls aged 13, 14 and 16 have been arrested in connection to fire which destroyed various items at the school.
The police received a report on Wednesday morning that one of the hostels was on fire and they rushed to the scene where they found that some students had put out the fire.
“Various items such as mattresses and students’ beddings have been damaged but enquiries continue to establish extent and cost of the damage caused,” said Ngwira.
The head teacher of the school, Sister Regina Komicho, said rumors started last week that some students wanted to go home and the students threatened to set the school on fire if their demands were not heard.
“Last week there were rumors that students demanded to be allowed to go home and if not they will set the school on fire and they even wrote the threat on the notice board,” said Komicho.
Komicho said students’ concerns were heard and they called on a school committee meeting but this did not help matters.
On Wednesday morning while classes were in progress teachers and some students were surprised to see one of the hostels on fire.
Initially, ten students were taken for questioning but seven were later released.
The three girls have been charged with an offence of arson contravening section 337 of the penal code.
