Kenya school dorm fire kills at least 17 children

Security and military news section 06-09-2024

A fire swept through the dormitory of a boarding school for young children in central Kenya during the early hours of Friday.

At least 17 young children were killed in a fire that tore through their primary school dormitory in central Kenya overnight. Initial reports on Friday suggest that the dormitory was overcrowded, violating safety standards.

The blaze erupted at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County around midnight, consuming rooms where over 150 children were sleeping, according to police.

Authorities reported that the average age of the victims was approximately nine years old.

“There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries,” national police spokesperson Resila Onyango told AFP.

“The bodies recovered at the scene were burned beyond recognition,” she said.

“More bodies are likely to be recovered once (the) scene is fully processed,” she added.

Kenya’s Citizen TV broadcast images of the aftermath of the fire, showing collapsed, blackened corrugated iron roofing.