At least 17 students have died in a fire that broke out at a school dormitory in central Kenya. The number could rise. The children’s bodies were charred to such an extent that immediate identification was impossible.
To the fire at the boarding school of Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri town in central Kenya occurred on Thursday before midnight local time.
Police spokeswoman Resila Onyango said 17 children died in it, but the death toll could still rise.
More bodies are likely to be recovered once the scene is fully investigated. – quotes the BBC police spokeswoman.
Police chief Pius Murugu said there were more than 150 students in the hostel when the fire broke out.
Onyango said the bodies found were “burned to such an extent that they could not be identified.”
14 people with burns were taken to hospital. Some of them are in serious condition.
Authorities have sent additional rescue units to Nyeri. According to the Kenya Red Cross, the school grounds have been cordoned off.
