Kenya school dormitory fire kills 17 students, seriously burns 13, death toll may rise

A fire in a school dormitory in Kenya killed 17 students and seriously burned 13 others, police said Friday, and they feared the death toll may rise.

The cause of the fire Thursday night at Hillside Endarasha Primary school in Nyeri County was being investigated, police spokesperson Resila Onyango said. The school serves children up to the age of 14.

Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu and the education ministry reported that the dormitory that caught fire housed more than 150 boys between age 10 and 14. Since most of the buildings are built with wooden planks, the fire spread quickly.

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The private school, which has 824 students, is located in the country’s central highlands, 125 miles north of the capital, Nairobi, where wooden structures are common.

Nyeri County Gov. Mutahi Kahiga told journalists that rescue efforts were hampered by muddy roads caused by rains in the area.

Anxious parents who had been unable to find their children among the survivors waited at the school, engulfed with grief.

John Rukwaro told journalists that his 11-year-old grandson was missing and he had checked with area hospitals without success.

The education ministry's permanent secretary, Belio Kipsang, said the government was working with the school administration to account for all the children in the boarding section.

"We are asking the parents who picked up their children and the community to support us as we consolidate the numbers to ensure that we account for every child who was boarding in this school," he said.

President William Ruto called the news "devastating."

"I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account," he wrote on the social media platform X.

His deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools are being followed.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, often due to arson fueled by drug abuse and overcrowding, according to a recent education ministry report. Many students stay at school 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 started by a student in Nairobi.

The deadliest school fire in the country in recent history was in 2001 when 67 students died in a dormitory fire in Machakos county.

The education ministry's guidelines recommend that dormitories should be spacious enough and have two doors on each end, an emergency door in the middle and that windows are not fitted with grills to allow for escape in case of fire. Fully serviced fire extinguishers and fire alarms are required at easily accessible spots.

It was not immediately clear if these guidelines were followed at Hillside school and the area near the dormitory has remained cordoned off.