Govt dispatches food, medical supplies to Nyeri’s Hillside Academy » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – The government has dispatched aid to Nyeri’s Hillside Academy where 17 students lost their lives while some are still missing following the incident where in a tragic fire ravaged their dormitory.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the package includes dry foods and supplies and medical kit to respond to the incident as emergency services are still determining the final number of fatalities.
“50 bags of rice and 50 bags of beans are enroute via special programs.100 mattresses and 100 blankets are also being dispatched with an estimated arrival time of 1300 hrs. The Ministry of Health and County Health Department are on site assessing medical needs,” Mwaura stated.
The midnight inferno affected the dormitories, which house boys from Grade 4 to Grade 8 with a total of 156 students residing in the dormitories.
“We are working closely with all relevant agencies including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Red cross and other key stakeholders to provide the necessary support,” the government spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Education has activated a multi-agency response to investigate the root cause of the midnight inferno.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang revealed that the Ministry of Education is currently working with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, and the Ministry of Health to manage the situation and ensure the injured learners are given the best medical attention.
“In line with His Excellency President William Ruto’s directive, the Ministry of Education is coordinating with security agencies to investigate the root cause of the fire incident at the school,” Kipsang said.
The fire incident injured 14 other learners, who are being attended to in various hospitals. PS Kipsang assured that he was on the ground to assess the situation with the multi-agency team.
“In the meantime, I am currently on the ground leading the local multi-agency team to manage the situation. The Ministry of Education sends its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the parents, families and friends of the learners who lost their lives in this regrettable tragedy,” the Principal Secretary stated.
The school has a total enrolment of 824. Of these, 402 are boys while 422 are girls. Of the total enrolment of 824 learners, 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders while the rest are day scholars. All the 156 boys boarders were accommodated in the ill-fated dormitory.
Police Spokeswoman Resila Onyango said there are fears more bodies may be recovered at the scene.
“We lost 16 pupils who were burnt beyond recognition and there is another one who died while being taken to hospital,” the Spokeswoman said.
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