At least 17 children dead and bodies ‘burned beyond recognition’ in Kenya school fire tragedy

At least 17 children have died and 13 others were severely burned in a fire that engulfed a boarding school in central Kenya on Friday.

The fire began on Thursday night in a dormitory of the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, a town in the country’s central highlands around 150km north of Nairobi.

National police spokesperson Resila Onyango said the bodies of those killed were “burnt beyond recognition”.

“There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries,” she said.

She added that police fear the death toll could rise further, with the possibility that more bodies will be recovered from the wreckage.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and authorities have launched an investigation.

President William Ruto on Friday said action would be taken against those responsible for the “devastating” tragedy.

“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account,” he wrote on X.

His deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools were being followed.

The Kenya Red Cross said it was providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study.

In 2017, at least 10 students were killed in a fire at a school in Nairobi. Eight students were killed at a school in Homa Bay County in western Kenya in 2012.

In one of the deadliest fire incidents in Kenya, at least 58 pupils were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi in 2001.