Fear and anxiety gripped Gilgil town on Thursday morning after a deadly fire broke out at a dormitory in Utumishi Girls Academy, Nakuru County, leaving several students feared dead and others injured.
The fire is reported to have started in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, as students slept inside the dormitory. Preliminary reports indicate the blaze began at around 1am, although the Kenya Red Cross said the emergency was formally reported at approximately 3.30am.
Emergency response teams, including firefighters, police officers, Kenya Red Cross personnel, and medical teams, rushed to the school to contain the inferno and assist affected students.
According to reports from the scene, at least 10 students are feared dead, although authorities had not officially confirmed the number of fatalities by the time of publication. Several students were also injured and rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil for treatment and medical assessment.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed deploying emergency responders and psychosocial support teams to help traumatised students, teachers, and parents gathered at the institution.
“Our first responders, E-Plus ambulance crew and psychosocial support personnel are currently on the ground supporting affected students alongside other responders and relevant authorities,” the organisation stated.
The incident sparked panic outside the school as worried parents arrived in large numbers seeking information about their children. Police officers restricted access to the compound as rescue operations and investigations continued.
Rift Valley Regional Commander Masoud Munyi said detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had already launched investigations into the cause of the fire while a head count was underway to establish the number of students who were in the dormitory during the incident.
“We have deployed officers and DCI detectives to the school, and a head count is currently underway. For now, only parents will be allowed access into the school,” said Munyi.
Despite the controlled access, some parents expressed frustration and fear, saying they had not received information about the safety of their children hours after the fire.
The tragedy has once again raised concern over the increasing number of school fire incidents reported across the country in recent years. Education stakeholders and parents have repeatedly called for tighter safety measures in boarding schools to protect learners.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
