NAIROBI, SEPT 6 – About 17 children died after a fire destroyed a primary school dormitory in central Kenya, police said today.
The fire at Endarasha Hillside Academy, Nyeri county, broke out around midnight, police said, and destroyed the rooms where the children were sleeping.
The primary school accommodates about 800 pupils, aged between five and 12 years.
“There were 17 deaths as a result of the incident and there were also several other people who were taken to hospital due to serious injuries,” national police spokesperson Resila Onyango told AFP.
“The body found at the scene was burnt beyond recognition,” he said.
Police said the average age of the victims was around nine years.
Several others were injured, Onyango said, 16 of whom suffered serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
“It is possible that more bodies will be found after the scene has been fully processed,” he said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but an investigation has been launched.
President William Ruto conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in the fire tragedy,” he said in a post on X.
“This is sad news.” He said he had ordered officials to “thoroughly investigate this horrific incident”, and promised that those responsible would be held accountable.
The school is located about 170 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi, in Nyeri district.
The Kenya Red Cross said they were on the scene to assist the multi-agency response team.
In a post on X, they mentioned that they were “providing psychosocial support services to affected students, teachers and families.” – AFP
