Nairobi, Kenya — A fire at a school dormitory in central Kenya killed 17 students and seriously burned 13 others, police said Friday.
Police fear the death toll could rise.
The primary school has about 800 students, aged between five and 12, Agence France reports, adding that police said the average age of the victims was about nine.
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The cause of the fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri County is under investigation, police spokesperson Resila Onyango said. “We are investigating the cause and will take necessary action,” she said.
According to AFP, the “bodies found at the scene were burned beyond recognition.”
AFP quoted police as saying the fire broke out around midnight and engulfed the dormitory while students were sleeping.
The Kenyan Red Cross has been supporting a multi-agency response team on the ground. In a post on X, the agency said it was “providing psychosocial support services to students, teachers and affected families.”
President William Ruto called the news “devastating” and said action would be taken against those responsible.
“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.
School fires are common at Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because their parents believe it gives them more time to study without long commutes.
Some fires have been started by students during protests over workload or living conditions. In 2017, 10 high school students died in a fire at a school in the capital, Nairobi.
