Dozens of Students Missing After Tragic Kenya School Dormitory Fire
Officials began the grim task of removing the bodies of children killed in a devastating fire at a school dormitory in central Kenya on Sunday, as authorities continued efforts to account for dozens of missing boys.
Journalists were asked to remain outside the compound of Hillside Endarasha Primary School as morticians from Nyeri Provincial Hospital set up outside the dormitory on Saturday.
The fire, which broke out on Thursday night, claimed the lives of 18 boys between the ages of 10 and 14, while 27 others were hospitalized. However, around 70 students remain unaccounted for.
President William Ruto declared a three-day mourning period as investigations into the cause of the fire continue. Parents, anxiously awaiting updates, were finally allowed to view the wreckage of the dormitory on Friday evening. Many broke down in tears upon seeing the destruction.
The government has reiterated the importance of enforcing boarding school safety guidelines, emphasizing the need for spacious dormitories, multiple exits, and windows without grills to ensure easy evacuation during emergencies.
Many parents opt for boarding schools in Kenya to provide their children with more focused study time without long daily commutes.
In recent years, Kenya has witnessed several deadly school fires. In 2017, a student-set blaze at a Nairobi school claimed the lives of 10 high school students, while the country’s deadliest school fire occurred in 2001, when 67 students perished in Machakos county.
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