Fire claims 17 elementary school students in Kenya.

Fire claims 17 elementary school students in Kenya.


EPA In front of the area that has been roped off following the school fire, a man is speaking to a woman.EPA
To investigate the cause of the fire, a team of investigators has been sent to the school.
The Ministry of Education said that a boarding school dormitory in central Kenya caught fire on Thursday night, killing seventeen students.
With 14 more kids being admitted to hospitals on Friday morning due to injuries, there were concerns that the death toll might increase.
Around midnight local time, the dormitory that housed around 150 students caught fire. Children in the age range of five to twelve are served by the school.
The reason for the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire,is not yet known in Nyeri County.


Investigating the incident, President William Ruto described it as "horrific" and "devastating" and issued an order.
On social media, Mr. Ruto posted, "Those responsible will be held to account."
According to authorities, a group of detectives, including forensic specialists, were sent to the school.
Since the majority of the school's buildings were built of wood, the fire spread quickly, according to a journalist from the local TV station Citizen TV.
'Devastating' live updates on the Kenyan school fire
The terrifying outbreak of school fires in Kenya
The AFP news agency was informed earlier by police spokesperson Resila Onyango that the remains that were found had been "burnt beyond recognition".
"More bodies are likely to be recovered once (the) scene is fully processed," she added.
"County government has made every effort to improve the situation," Governor Mutahi Kahiga of Nyeri County stated.
Neighbours were the first to respond and helped firefighters extinguish the fire.
The rescue effort was challenging, according to local official Samson Mwangi Mwema, who told the BBC: "We discovered the dormitory had caught fire, we tried to rescue-we found some children under the bed and we were able to rescue them."
 Maina Ephantus Individuals gathered in front of the educational facility William Ruto, the president of Ephantus Maina, announced that the fire would be investigated.


According to the Kenya Red Cross, it was working to connect parents with students, particularly those who were experiencing trauma, and was offering trauma counselling services to the students, instructors, and affected families at the hospital.
Situated 150km (93 miles) north of Nairobi's city, Hillside Endarasha Academy is a private elementary school close to Nyeri town.
There were 402 boys and 422 girls enrolled at the institution, according to the Kenyan Ministry of Education. 316 of the people were boarders.
Boarding schools in Kenya are comparatively prone to school fires.
After a hostel in western Kenya caught fire in 2022, multiple students were taken into custody on charges of arson. There had been an increase in boarding school arson attacks the previous year.
In 2017, an arson assault at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi's capital claimed the lives of ten girls.
The deadliest school arson in Kenya occurred in Machakos County, southeast of Nairobi, where at least 67 pupils perished more than 20 years prior.
Not a valid attachment ID.




[attachment deleted by admin]