Panic as fire breaks out at Moi Girls High School Eldoret

Property of an unknown value was destroyed in a fire that gutted down three laboratories and a chemicals store at Moi Girls High School Eldoret on Thursday night.

No one was hurt in the fire incident that started around 11 pm, throwing the school community into a panic.

The fire which is suspected to have resulted from a gas leak or electrical fault from preliminary investigations gutted down the physics and home science labs where students conduct their practical classes in the subjects, and a store where some chemicals are stored.

A team of firefighters from the Uasin Gishu county government arrived to find the huge fire blazing a massive white smokes emanating from the two storey building. They managed to put out the fire.

The damaged labs are hosted on the upper part of the building that was partly destroyed in the fire. The ground floor labs and offices were not affected.

Panicky parents within Eldoret and its environs rushed to the school to confirm the safety of their children upon learning about the fire.

Authorities said preliminary investigations showed it might have resulted from a gas leak or electric fault. 

Ainabkoi sub-county assistant commissioner Charles Laboso assured members of the public that no one was hurt during the night incident.

"We are assuring parents that all students are 100 per cent safe. We will be addressing the school community on Friday morning,” said Mr Laboso.

“There is no cause of alarm as nobody was hurt in the incident," he said.

Mr Laboso said authorities had launched investigations into the cause of the fire.

"This was not deliberate human act. This was an accidental fire. We 
suspect that it could be due to gas leak or electric fault,” the administrator told the Nation.Africa. 

Teachers later gathered students for a prayer service after locking the gates. 

Police stayed at the scene for most part of the night, as fire engines continued to snuff out the fire.

[email protected]