Fire kills 17 pupils at primary boarding school in Nyeri

At least 17 pupils have been confirmed dead and 14 others seriously injured following a tragic dormitory fire tragedy at a primary boarding school in central Kenya.

The blaze occurred at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri at night.

National Police Service Spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango confirmed the tragic incident, and said teams had been dispatched to the school in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri.

At least 16 of them were confirmed dead on the spot, and one more died on arrival at the hospital, Dr Onyango said.

“The 16 children are burnt beyond recognition, while one died on the way to the hospital,” the police spokesperson told Nation FM.

Leading the team of investigators that have already rushed to the scene, Dr Onyango said, was deputy head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), John Onyango, a team from the office of the Inspector General of Police and that from the homicide team.

“This was a dormitory fire. It happened at night, and what might have led to it, we are yet to establish,” said Dr Onyango.

As at the time of the interview at 9am, Dr Onyango said, there was no confirmation yet whether the fire had been contained fully.

There were initial fears that more bodies of the young pupils were still trapped, but there was no concrete confirmation yet.

President William Ruto has condoled with the bereaved families and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, promising that those responsible will be held accountable. 

“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire tragedy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news. We pray for the speedy recovery of the survivors,” President Ruto said on his official social media platforms.

He went on: “I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account.”

President Ruto said the government, under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, was “mobilising all necessary resources to assist the affected families”.

At the same time, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua mourned the loss of the pupils.

“We join the families, the school and the rest of the country in mourning these young departed souls. We pray for a quick recovery of the survivors of this inferno. May God grant the families the fortitude to bear the loss. We ask schools to enforce safety and security measures as outlined by the Ministry of Education and other agencies to avert such incidences,” Mr Gachagua said on social media.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang visited the school Friday morning.

Dr Kipsang revealed that the school had a total enrolment of 824. Of these, 402 were boys while 422 were girls. Of the total enrolment, 156 boys and 160 girls were boarders while the rest are day scholars. All the 156 boys boarders were accommodated in the ill-fated dormitory.

“The Ministry of Education is currently working with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, and Ministry of Health to manage the situation, and ensure the injured learners are given the best medical attention. In line with His Excellency President William Ruto’s directive, the Ministry of Education is coordinating with security agencies to investigate the root cause of the fire incident at the school.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Migos Ogamba, who has been on an official trip in China is on his way back to join our local teams to ensure the situation is addressed with utmost urgency. In the meantime, I am currently on the ground leading the local multi-agency team to manage the situation. The Ministry of Education sends its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the parents, families and friends of the learners who lost their lives in this regrettable tragedy,” Dr Kipsang in a statement.

The Nation has established that the structure of the dormitory was semi-permanent with the walls built with stones at the bottom but mainly wood.