At least 16 students have been killed and several others injured following a devastating fire that swept through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in the early hours of Thursday. Authorities have warned that the death toll could rise as rescue and accounting operations continue.
The fire is reported to have broken out at about 1am while students were asleep, triggering panic at the school as emergency responders rushed to the scene. Rescue teams have been conducting searches and a headcount to establish the number of students affected and account for those who may still be missing.
Firefighters, police officers, Kenya Red Cross personnel and medical teams were deployed to the school as efforts to contain the blaze and evacuate students got underway.
The Kenya Red Cross said the incident was reported at around 3.30am, prompting the deployment of first responders, E-Plus ambulance crews and psychosocial support teams to support affected students, teachers and parents.
Several injured students were rushed to St Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil for treatment, with preliminary reports indicating that some suffered burns, smoke inhalation and trauma.
Anxious parents have gathered at the school seeking information about their children. Meanwhile, police has restricted access to facilitate rescue operations, identification efforts and investigations.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have joined the operation and have begun investigations into the cause of the fire, which remains unknown.
The tragedy has once again raised concerns about safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools, coming less than two years after the deadly Hillside Endarasha Academy fire that claimed the lives of 21 pupils.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates once the ongoing headcount and identification process is completed.
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