Distressed parents and relatives stand near a burnt-out dormitory, following a fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri, Kenya, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo)
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NAIROBI, Kenya — A fire at a school dormitory in Kenya killed 17 students and seriously burned 13 others, police said Friday.
Police fear the death toll could rise.
The cause of the fire that broke out Thursday night at Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri County is under investigation, police spokesperson Resila Onyango said. The school caters for children up to 14 years old.
Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu and the Ministry of Education reported that the dormitory that caught fire housed more than 150 boys aged between 10 and 14. As most of the buildings are constructed with wooden planks, the fire spread very quickly.
The school, which has 824 students, is located in the central highlands of the country, 200 kilometres north of the capital, Nairobi, where wooden structures are common.
Nyeri County Governor Mutahi Kahiga told reporters that rescue efforts were being hampered by muddy roads caused by persistent rains in the area.
Worried parents who had not been able to find their children among the survivors waited at the school, overwhelmed with grief.
President William Ruto described the news as “devastating”.
“I order the relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held accountable,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
His deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Education for boarding schools are followed.
According to a recent report by the Ministry of Education, fires in Kenyan boarding schools are common. They are often caused by drug abuse and overcrowding. Many students stay in school because their parents believe it gives them more time to study without having to travel long distances.
Some fires have been started by students during protests over 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 occurred in 2001, when 67 students died in a dormitory fire in Machakos County.
The Ministry of Education guidelines recommend that dormitories should be spacious enough and have two doors at each end, an emergency door in the middle and that windows should not be fitted with grills to allow escape in the event of fire. Fully maintained fire extinguishers and fire alarms are required in easily accessible locations.
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