A fire killed 17 students at a boarding school in Nyeri

At least 17 pupils have been confirmed dead and 14 others seriously injured following a tragic dormitory fire at a primary boarding school in central Kenya.

The fire broke out at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri last night.

National Police Service Spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango confirmed the tragic incident, and said a team had been sent to the school in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri.

At least 16 of them were confirmed dead at the scene, while another died on arrival at the hospital, Dr Onyango said.

“The 16 children could not be identified, while one died on the way to the hospital,” a police spokesman said. Nation FM.

The leader of the investigative team​​​​ that has rushed to the scene, Dr Onyango said, is the deputy head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), John Onyango, a team from the office of the Inspector General of Police and from the homicide team. .

“This is a dormitory fire. It happened at night, and what caused it, we have not been able to determine,” said Dr. Onyango.

As at the time of the interview at 9am, Dr Onyango said, there is no confirmation yet whether the fire is over.

There are fears that more bodies of young students are still trapped, but there is no concrete confirmation yet.

President William Ruto has condoled with the families of the deceased and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, promising that those responsible will be held accountable.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who died in the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire tragedy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news. We pray for the speedy recovery of the survivors,” President Ruto said on his official social media platform. .

He continued: “I have instructed the relevant authorities to investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be brought to justice.”

President Ruto said the government, under the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Government Coordination, was “mobilizing all necessary resources to help the affected families”.

At the same time, Vice President Rigathi Gachagua mourned the students.

“We join families, schools and the rest of the country in mourning these lost souls. We pray for the speedy recovery of those who survived this inferno. May God give strength to the bereaved families. We ask schools to implement safety and security measures as outlined by the Ministry of Education and other agencies to prevent such incidents,” Mr. Gachagua said on social media.

Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang came to the school Friday morning.

Dr Kipsang said the school has a total of 824 students. Of these, 402 are male and 422 are female. Of the total enrollment, 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders and the rest are day scholars. All 156 male dormitories were accommodated in the sick dormitories.

“The Ministry of Education is now working with the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Administration, and the Ministry of Health to manage the situation, and ensure that the injured students are given the best medical care. In line with the directive of President William Ruto, the Ministry of Education has coordinated with security agencies to investigate the causes of the fire in the school.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Migos Ogamba, who has been on an official trip to China has returned to the local team to ensure that the situation is dealt with quickly. In the meantime, I am currently on the ground leading a local multi-agency team to manage the situation. The Ministry of Education sent our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the parents, families and friends of the students who lost their lives in this regrettable tragedy,” said Dr Kipsang.

The nation has established that the dormitory structure is semi-permanent with walls built with stone underneath but mainly wood.