At least 17 children died in a fire that broke out at the Hillside Endarasha Academy boarding school in Kenya on Thursday night. Authorities suspect the death toll may rise. President William Ruto has announced that those responsible will be held accountable and that the families of those affected will be helped.
Late on Thursday evening, a fire broke out in the buildings of a private primary boarding school in central Kenya. According to police, there were about 150 students in the school at the time. The wooden structure of most of the buildings at Hillside Endarasha Academy caused the fire to spread very quickly, the BBC reports, citing reports from local journalists. According to the portal, at least 17 children died in the fire. “The bodies found at the scene were burned to such an extent that they could not be recognized,” said Resila Onyango, a spokeswoman for the Kenyan police, quoted by “Le Monde.” The woman added that after searching the ruins of the school, the number of victims may increase. She also noted that as a result of the fire, several more children were taken to hospital, some of whom suffered “serious injuries.”
Kenyan boarding school fire leaves at least 17 students dead
The cause of the fire remains unknown. An investigation has been launched. Kenyan President William Ruto assured on X (formerly Twitter – ed.) that he “ordered the relevant services to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident”. “Those responsible will be held accountable,” he added. The politician also noted that “all necessary resources are being mobilized to support the families affected by the fire.”
Hillside Endarasha Academy fire in Kenya Associated Press/East News
“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in the tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy. (…) We also pray for the quick recovery of the survivors,” Ruto wrote. The Kenya Red Cross also commented on the matter. It described the events of Thursday evening as “tragic.” It also said that the organization's staff were on site providing support to students and teachers of the boarding school and their loved ones.
The school is located about 150 kilometers north of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. In total, about 800 students aged between five and 12 attend it, the BBC reports.
Main image source: Associated Press/East News