A devastating fire broke out at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, Kenya, on September 5, 2024, at night.
Sadly, at least 16 students died. The fire spread quickly through a dormitory while many students were sleeping. This caused a chaotic and heartbreaking scene as emergency teams rushed to help.
The fire started around midnight, according to police. When help arrived, the flames had already spread fast, making it very hard to save people.
The National Police Service reported that 17 students were burned beyond recognition. Also, 14 others were badly hurt and quickly taken to nearby hospitals for urgent care.
Police spokesperson Resila Onyango said they are still looking into what caused the fire, but they don’t know yet.
This fire has shocked the whole community. Many worried parents rushed to the school to check on their children.
The school, had about 824 students. Nyeri County Police Commander Benjamin Rotich promised a full investigation. He said a special team is working hard to find out exactly what happened.
To help after this disaster, the Kenya Red Cross sent an emergency team right away. They are supporting affected families and students.
At the school, they set up a desk to help find missing people. They are also giving emotional support to those upset by the fire.
This is one of the worst school fires in Kenya’s recent history.
In the past, Kenya has had many school fires. These often happened because students were protesting about living conditions or school stress.
For example, in 2017, a fire at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi killed 10 students.
As the community deals with this terrible event, more people are likely to call for better safety in schools. Right now, everyone is focused on helping the grieving families.
People also want to make sure this kind of tragedy doesn’t happen again. The investigation into why the fire started is still going on.
Authorities promise to hold responsible anyone whose carelessness might have led to this tragedy.
The government is now looking at ways to improve fire safety in all schools. This includes better fire alarms, more fire drills, and teaching students what to do in an emergency.
Parents are also calling for regular safety checks in schools. They want to make sure their children are safe when they’re away from home.