A devastating fire tore through a dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding school in central Kenya, early Friday morning, claiming the lives of 17 boys and seriously injuring 13 others. The tragedy has sent shockwaves across the nation and prompted an urgent investigation into the cause of the blaze.
The fire broke out while the students, aged between 9 and 13, were asleep in the dormitory, which housed 156 pupils in grades 4 to 8. According to police spokesperson Resila Onyango, the authorities are still piecing together the details of what happened. "We are investigating the cause and will take necessary action," Onyango said, while noting that the death toll might rise as some of the injured remain in critical condition.
Eyewitness accounts from the scene paint a harrowing picture. Phillip Gathogo, a local resident, described the horrifying moments when he tried to rescue the children. "We saw several children in there that had been burnt," Gathogo told reporters. "I was just lucky to save one of them, but I heard that he later died. It was a very troubling and sad tragedy."
As the fire raged through the dormitory, many children managed to escape by jumping out of windows and running to safety. However, the extent of the casualties suggests that not everyone was as fortunate. Vice President Rigathi Gachagua expressed his concern, noting that 70 pupils were still unaccounted for, though some might have been taken home by their parents in the chaos of the night.
I will never stop saying this administration believe in illusion, dark magic, human sacrifice and devil worshiping. Today is black Friday .
Hillside Endarasha academy, KPLC Opiyo Wandayi nationwide. pic.twitter.com/mDGNylU78I — Gfrm Moon (@GachungaK) September 6, 2024
The cause of the fire remains unclear, and authorities have cordoned off the school while crime scene investigators comb through the wreckage. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, who visited the site, assured the public that the government would leave no stone unturned in finding out what led to the tragic incident. "The government assures full accountability for all whose action or inaction contributed to this tremendous loss," Kindiki later wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
President William Ruto echoed these sentiments, describing the incident as "horrific" and calling for a thorough investigation. "Those responsible will be held to account," Ruto declared, underscoring the gravity with which the government views this tragedy.
Hillside Endarasha Academy, located in Nyeri County, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Nairobi, serves 824 students, with 160 boarders among them. The school, which has both day scholars and boarders, is now under intense scrutiny as questions arise over the safety measures in place to protect the children.
Kenya has a troubling history of school fires, many of which have been attributed to arson. In 2017, a fire at a Nairobi school claimed the lives of nine students, an incident later determined to be the result of deliberate action. The worst tragedy of this kind occurred in 2001 when 58 boys were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School, also near Nairobi. This latest incident has reignited fears that similar lapses in safety protocols could have contributed to the loss of life at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, there have been renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety guidelines in boarding schools. Vice President Gachagua urged school administrators nationwide to ensure that all safety recommendations from the education ministry are being followed to prevent such tragedies in the future.
For now, the focus remains on identifying the victims and supporting the survivors. Government officials have appealed to local residents who may have taken in children during the fire to bring them back to the school for medical attention and counseling.
