At least 17 pupils died in a fire that broke out in a dormitory at a boarding school in central Kenya on Thursday night. The fire happened at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a primary school in Nyeri county.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. More rescuers were going to the school, according to a spokesperson, Resila Onyango. Authorities would give more information later.
“We lost 17 pupils in the fire,” Onyango told Reuters. “Our team is there now.” The fire burned the students so badly that they were unrecognizable, said Citizen Television.
President William Ruto called the fire “horrible” and “devastating.” He ordered an investigation. “Those responsible will be held to account,” Ruto said on X.
Police said a team of investigators was at the school. More than 150 pupils were in the dormitory when it caught fire around midnight. The fire spread quickly because most of the buildings were made of wood, according to a journalist from Citizen TV.
