A fire that broke out in a Kenyan school dormitory while students were sleeping has killed at least 17 children and seriously injured 13 others, local authorities said Friday.
The blaze erupted on Thursday night at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri County.
Police spokesperson Resila Onyango said the cause of the fire is being investigated and that the death toll may rise.
Onyango told Kenya’s Hot 96 FM radio that more rescuers were on their way to the school, and authorities would provide updates.
President William Ruto responded to the news on the social media platform X, calling it “devastating.”
“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County,” Ruto wrote. “We pray for speedy recovery to the survivors.”
Ruto said he instructed relevant authorities to investigate.
“The Government under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National Government is mobilising all the necessary resources to support the affected families,” he wrote.
Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, also expressed condolences on X. “We join the families, the school and the rest of the country in mourning these young departed souls.”
Many students study at Kenyan boarding schools to reduce travel time and focus on studying. In 2017, a school fire in Nairobi claimed the lives of 10 high school students.
