At least 17 students have been killed after a fire in a school dormitory in Kenya.
The number of dead may rise, police said, adding that at least 13 students have been seriously burned.
The cause of the fire Thursday night at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county was being investigated, a police spokesperson said.
Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu and the education ministry reported that the dormitory that caught fire housed more than 150 boys aged between 10 and 14. Since most of the buildings are built with wooden planks, the fire spread quickly.
The school, which has 824 students, is located in the country’s central highlands, 200km (125 miles) north of the capital, Nairobi.
In a post on X, President William Ruto called on the authorities “to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident” and hold those responsible to account.
Parents stand near the burnt-out dormitory. Pic: AP
The school has been cordoned off, Kenya Red Cross said on X, adding it was providing “psychosocial support services” to those affected by “the tragic fire incident”.
The fire had burnt the students beyond recognition, Citizen Television said earlier.
AFP quoted police as saying the fire started at about midnight, with flames engulfing the dormitory as pupils slept.
Hillside Endarasha Academy
Pic: Facebook
Vice president Rigathi Gachagua urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools are being followed.
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.
Some fires have been started by students during protests over the workload or living conditions. In 2017, 10 high school students died in a school fire in the capital, Nairobi.
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In 2001, 58 schoolboys were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi.
In 2012, eight students were killed at a school in Homa Bay County in western Kenya.