An inferno in an elementary school dormitory in central Kenya has killed at least 17 students, with 14 injured. Eleven children have so far been taken to hospital, with the area of the fire cordoned off by police.
The fire occurred late Thursday at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri County. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but local police at the scene say the bodies of the dead were “burnt beyond recognition.”
Reacting on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto described the situation as a “devastating news” and directed “relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident.”
He said, “Those responsible will be held to account,” adding his government was “mobilizing all the necessary resources to support the affected families.”
“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,” the president prayed.
The Kenya Red Cross is on the ground to help. In a statement it released Friday, it promised to coordinate a “multi-agency response team” to offer “psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families.”
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