Multi-agency team leads probe into Hillside Academy fire » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 6 – The Ministry of Education has activated a multi-agency response to the Hillside Endarasha Academy Primary School fire to investigate the root cause of the midnight inferno that claimed the lives of 17 students.
In the school based in Kieni West Sub-county, Nyeri, 17 students lost their lives while some are still missing following the incident where a tragic fire ravaged their dormitory.
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.
A search was underway Friday morning following fears of more bodies in the rubble after some were reported missing.
Nyeri County Police Commander Benjamin Rotich confirmed the fatalities and said 14 others sustained serious injuries.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are underway to determine the source of the blaze.
According to Rotich, the fire broke out around midnight when most of the students were asleep.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to contain the fire, but the flames spread quickly, making it difficult to rescue all the students.
The tragedy has left the school and the surrounding community in shock, with parents rushing to the institution to check on the safety of their children.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident, and police are working closely with the school’s administration to gather details on what may have triggered the deadly blaze.
Meanwhile, the injured students have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, with doctors working to stabilize those in critical condition.
This fire is one of the deadliest incidents in recent memory at a Kenyan school, and it has raised fresh concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in schools across the country.
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