Princess Anne Expresses 'Shock' After 11 Students Died in Fire at Uganda School for the Blind

Luke Dray/AP/Shutterstock Princess Anne in Uganda

Princess Anne is mourning the loss of children at a school for the blind in Uganda that she was due to visit on Friday.

Eleven pupils died and at least six more were severely injured at the Salama School for the Blind in the early hours of Monday, VOA reported.

Princess Anne, 72, was due to visit the children and staff as part of her four-day visit to the African country and to highlight the work being done there by a charity she supports, Sense International.

The fire is believed to have started in a dormitory for 17 girls on Monday. Police are investigating the cause of the blaze at the school in the central Mukono district.

"I was shocked to hear the news of the tragic loss of life," Anne said in a statement on Thursday. "The work of Sense International across many countries is hugely appreciated, working with such a vulnerable group of children. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and staff."

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Luke Dray/AP/Shutterstock Princess Anne in Uganda

Anne has now canceled the visit and, accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will now visit the charity at its head office in Kampala. She will use the occasion to pay her respects for the lives lost, Buckingham Palace said, and also meet charity representatives and families Sense International supports.

On Wednesday evening, Anne paid a tribute to her mother Queen Elizabeth II when she wore a sapphire and pearl brooch that had belonged to the late monarch at a dinner that she and Sir Tim, 67, attended at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kampala. One of the guests was the country's president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

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It is the second foreign trip for Princess Anne since the Queen died in September. She spent a few days in the U.S. earlier this month, including riding the Staten Island Ferry in New York City.

She has also been continuing with her domestic royal work, such as handing out honors on behalf of her brother King Charles III — including one for ex-James Bond actor Daniel Craig.