Kenya: At least 17 children die in school fire

In Kenya, a devastating fire has killed at least 17 children in the dormitory of their primary school located in the center of the country, according to an announcement made Friday by the police, who are conducting an investigation to determine the origin of the tragedy.

The fire broke out around midnight on Thursday at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. Police said the average age of the victims was about nine years old.

The school, which serves about 800 students aged 5 to 12, is located in a semi-rural area about 170km north of Nairobi. “We deplore 17 deaths,” said police spokesperson Resila Onyango, adding that several other people were injured, 16 of them seriously, and rushed to hospital.

The bodies found are “unrecognizable due to burns,” Onyango added, suggesting that more victims could still be discovered during on-site inspections.

On Friday, about a hundred anxious parents gathered outside the school, hoping to hear news of their children. “We have had very little information. We have been told that some children have managed to escape, but we are not told where.”said Francis Wachira, a 33-year-old parent whose daughter is a student at the school. “The longer I wait, the more I lose hope of seeing my child again”he added.

According to Kenyan Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, some children have taken refuge in nearby houses. “They are safe and sound, but obviously traumatized, and are still with those who took them in last night.”he said. Survivors, wrapped in blankets to protect themselves from the cold, were evacuated by bus, AFP reported.