17 pupils Dead, Dozen Injured At Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County

At least 17 pupils have died while several others are nursing serious inquiries after a fire broke out at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County on Thursday night.

The National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango confirmed the incident saying that the 17 pupils were burnt beyond recognition during the night incident when a fire broke into a dormitory at the institution.

“We have 17 pupils dead and 14 injured. We are investigating the cause and take necessary action,” she said.
According to the police, the injured pupils were rushed to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital for specialized medical treatment. However, the cause of the fire was yet to be established by the time of publishing this article.
“We are investigating the cause and will take the necessary action,” Resila told journalists.

There are fears that more bodies are likely to be recovered as more than a dozen others have been taken to hospital with severe burns.

According to Nyeri County Police Commander Benjamin Rotich, who also confirmed incis, he said that the fire broke out around midnight when most of the students were asleep.

The first responders arrived at the scene but were unable to contain the raging inferno which had spread quickly making it hard to contain.

A team of police officers led by Deputy Director of CID John Onyango and Director of Homicide Martin Nyuguto has been deployed to the school to commence investigations into the incident.

President William Ruto on Friday directed the relevant security agencies to expedite investigations into the latest fire incident at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County that left 17 pupils dead.

“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account. The Government under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National Government is mobilizing all the necessary resources to support the affected families,” Ruto directed.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news. We pray for the speedy recovery of the survivors.”

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