17 students killed in Kenya school fire with bodies ‘burnt beyond recognition’

By Larry Madowo, Manveena Suri and Isaac Yee, Sep 6: At least 17 students have been killed and 14 injured following a fire in an elementary school dormitory in central Kenya.

The inferno occurred late Thursday at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, in the country’s Nyeri county, Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service said. She added their bodies had been “burnt beyond recognition.”

“The cause of the fire is unknown at this time but we will update the public when we know more,” Onyango told CNN.

She was unable to confirm whether the fire was under control, saying those details would be established by teams on the ground.

Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday offered his condolences. Describing the incident as “devastating news,” Ruto said “Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County,” in a post on X.

“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account,” his post continued, adding his government was “mobilizing all the necessary resources to support the affected families.”

The Kenya Red Cross also posted a statement Friday, saying it would provide “psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families.”

The statement added that 11 children have so far been taken to hospital, with the area of the fire cordoned off by police.

Kenya Red Cross, alongside a “multi-agency response team,” is currently on the ground responding add has set up a tracing desk at the school, the statement continued.