At least 17 children have been killed after a fire ripped through a primary school in Kenya.
More than a dozen others were rushed to hospital after suffering severe burns in the blaze which broke out at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county overnight.
President William Ruto called for a criminal investigation into the ‘horrific’ fire, saying ‘those responsible will be held to account’.
Fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study without long commutes.
Some have been started by students during protests over the workload or living conditions.
In 2017, 10 high school students died in a school fire in the capital, Nairobi.
Police spokeswoman Resila Onyango said: ‘We have lost 17 pupils in the fire incident while 14 are injured. Our team is at the scene at the scene at the moment.’
The fire had burnt the students beyond recognition, Citizen Television said earlier.
Authorities have cordoned off the school, Kenya Red Cross said on X.
President Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools are being followed.
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