At least 17 children lost their lives after a devastating fire swept through a dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, Central Kenya, Police confirmed on Friday.
The fire broke out around midnight, engulfing the dormitory where young students, aged between five and 12, were sleeping.
Hillside Endarasha Academy is a primary school with a student body of approximately 800.
“There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries,” national police spokesperson Resila Onyango told AFP.
Onyango added that the bodies recovered from the scene were severely burned, making identification difficult. The average age of the victims was estimated to be around nine years old.
Sixteen other children suffered serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. Onyango warned that more bodies could potentially be discovered as the investigation progresses.
While the cause of the fire remains unknown, an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
President William Ruto expressed his grief and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County.
“This is devastating news.
“We pray for speedy recovery to the survivors.
“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account.
“The Government under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National Government is mobilising all the necessary resources to support the affected families,” he said in a post on X.
He further assured the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted and that those responsible would be held accountable.
The Kenyan Red Cross is on the ground, working alongside a multi-agency response team and providing psychological support to students, teachers, and affected families.
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