No fewer than 16 students have been confirmed dead while several others sustained varying degrees of burn after a devastating fire ripped through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya.
As gathered, the blaze, which cause is yet to be determine, erupted around 1:00 am but was only officially reported at about 3:30 am.
According to Education Minister, Julius Migos, 79 other students had been injured, although 71 of them had already been discharged from hospital, following the fire, which cause is yet to be determined.
“Investigations are ongoing, but the cause of the fire is not yet identified,” Migos added on Thursday.
The Police said they were leading rescue and emergency response efforts in the town, located about 120km (74 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.
Masoud Mwinyi, a senior police commander, told reporters at the school that 50 officers were combing areas around the facility for students who may have fled when the fire broke out. “Of that shock and fear and anxiety, many people went out, and it was at night,” he said.
School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study without long commutes.
In 2024, a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County killed 21 boys after flames engulfed a dormitory.