At least 16 students have been killed after a fire ripped through a girls’ school dormitory in central Kenya.
The blaze broke out around 1 a.m. at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School in the Gilgil area of Nakuru County, with reports indicating it was not reported until more than two hours later. Kenyan Red Cross officials said first responders, ambulance teams and support personnel were deployed to the scene as the fire was brought under control.
Authorities said at least 16 girls lost their lives, while more than 70 others were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, with several in critical condition. Police and emergency agencies are still searching the school grounds in case some students fled during the chaos.
Police official Masoud Mwinyi described the incident as “distressing and saddening” while addressing anxious parents who rushed to the school after news of the fire spread. Local media and social media posts showed heartbroken families gathering outside the school, desperate for information about their children.
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear, and an investigation has been launched. School fires are not uncommon in Kenya and have previously been linked to electrical faults, arson, harsh disciplinary measures and poor living conditions in overcrowded dormitories.
Kenyan authorities and humanitarian agencies have promised support for the affected families as the country mourns yet another deadly school dormitory tragedy.
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