A devastating fire swept through a primary school dormitory in central Kenya, killing at least 17 children and injuring several others, police said on Friday.
The blaze broke out at around midnight at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county, engulfing rooms where the children were sleeping. The school caters to around 800 pupils, aged between five and 12.
National police spokesperson Resila Onyango confirmed the fatalities, saying, “There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries.” The bodies recovered at the scene were burnt beyond recognition, she added.
Onyango stated that the average age of the victims was around nine years old, and 16 others were seriously injured and rushed to a nearby hospital. “More bodies are likely to be recovered once the scene is fully processed,” she said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but an investigation has been launched. President William Ruto expressed his condolences for those killed, saying, “Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy… This is devastating news.”
Ruto instructed officials to “thoroughly investigate this horrific incident” and promised that those responsible will be “held to account”. The Kenyan Red Cross is assisting a multi-agency response team, providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers, and affected families.
The incident is not an isolated one, as there have been numerous school fires in Kenya and across East Africa. In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls’ high school in Nairobi, while in 2001, 67 pupils were killed by an arson attack on their dormitory at the Kyanguli Mixed Secondary School in Machakos district.
