At least 17 children have died after a fire swept through their primary school dormitory in central Kenya overnight, according to police reports on Friday.
The blaze erupted around midnight at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, consuming the rooms where the children were asleep. The school, which serves about 800 students aged 5 to 12, was devastated by the fire.
National police spokesperson Resila Onyango confirmed that “17 fatalities have been reported, with others suffering serious injuries and being hospitalized.” She added that the victims’ bodies were so badly burned that they were unrecognizable. The average age of the deceased was approximately nine years old.
In addition to the fatalities, 16 others were seriously injured and transported to a nearby hospital. Onyango noted that the final number of casualties might rise as the scene is thoroughly examined.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but an investigation is underway. President William Ruto extended his condolences to the victims’ families, describing the incident as “devastating” and promising a comprehensive investigation. He assured that those responsible would be held accountable.
The school is situated about 170 kilometers (100 miles) north of Nairobi in Nyeri County. The Kenyan Red Cross has been on the scene, providing psychosocial support to affected students, teachers, and families.
This tragedy adds to a troubling history of school fires in Kenya and East Africa. In 2016, nine students died in a fire at a girls’ high school in Nairobi’s Kibera neighborhood. In 2001, an arson attack at Kyanguli Mixed Secondary School in Machakos District resulted in the deaths of 67 students, with two pupils charged with murder and school officials convicted of negligence. Additionally, in 1994, a fire at Shauritanga Secondary School for Girls in Tanzania claimed the lives of 40 students and injured 47 others.