Tragedy In Kenya As 16 Schoolgirls Die In Midnight Dormitory Fire

At least 16 students have been killed following a devastating fire outbreak at a boarding school in Kenya, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The tragic incident occurred at Utumishi Girls School in Gilgil, approximately 120 kilometres west of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Police and emergency officials said the fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning while hundreds of students were asleep inside the dormitory.

According to authorities, at least 74 other students sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.

Kenyan police said the inferno engulfed a dormitory block accommodating about 220 students after the fire reportedly started around 1:00 a.m. local time.

Emergency rescue teams, firefighters and Red Cross officials rushed to the scene shortly after the outbreak.

Search-and-rescue operations were still ongoing hours later as officials worked through the charred remains of the affected building.

Police commander Masoud Mwinyi, who addressed distraught parents and residents gathered outside the school, described the incident as heartbreaking.

“It is a sad and saddening situation,” he said.

Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire, though investigations have already commenced.

The school premises have since been cordoned off, with only parents and authorised officials allowed access.

Several survivors reportedly sustained injuries while attempting desperate escapes from the upper floors of the burning building.

One relative, Wambui Nderitu, said families arriving at the school were met with confusion, panic and uncertainty.

“When we arrived at the school we were told to queue. Most of us were so worried because we had heard some students had died and others were injured and in hospital,” she said.

Nderitu disclosed that her niece survived the fire but suffered a broken leg after jumping from the building during the chaos.

“Some of those at the top floor had to jump out, that’s why they are injured,” she explained.

Kenya Red Cross officials confirmed that emergency response teams remain on the ground to support survivors, families and rescue personnel.

The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to recurring fire incidents in Kenyan boarding schools.

 Over the years, several deadly fires have been recorded across schools in the East African country, often linked to overcrowded dormitories, poor emergency preparedness and failure to comply with safety regulations.

Authorities are expected to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the latest disaster as the nation mourns the loss of the students.