17 Feared Dead As Fire Engulfs School Dormitory In Kenya
By
OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
A fire in Hillside Endarasha Primary school dormitory in central Kenya has killed 17 students and severely burned 13 others, police said Friday.
There are fears that the death toll may rise, police said. There was no initial word on the ages of the students.
Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire in the school in Nyeri county police spokesperson Resila Onyango said. “We are investigating the cause and will take necessary action,” she said.
The “bodies recovered at the scene were burnt beyond recognition.”
The blaze broke out at around midnight and engulfed the dormitory as the students slept.
President William Ruto called the fire “horrific” and “devastating”, and has ordered an investigation.
“Those responsible will be held to account,” Mr Ruto posted on X platform.
School fires are not uncommon in Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study without long commutes.
Some fires have been started by students during protests over the workload or living conditions. In 2017, 10 high school students died in a school fire in the capital, Nairobi.
In 2001, 58 schoolboys were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi.
In 2012, eight students were killed at a school in Homa Bay County in western Kenya.
