Fire tragedy: 17 pupils dead, 14 injured at Hillside Academy in Nyeri
At least 17 pupils have been confirmed dead and 14 others seriously injured following a tragic dormitory fire tragedy Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, at night.
National Police Service Spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango confirmed the tragic incident, and said teams had been dispatched to the school in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri.
At least 16 of them were confirmed dead on the spot, and one more died on arrival at the hospital, Dr Onyango said.
“The 16 children are burnt beyond recognition, while one died on the way to the hospital,” the police spokesperson told Nation FM.
Shocked parents at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri County, where 17 pupils died in an overnight fire. At least 13 others are in hospital.
Leading the team of investigators that have already rushed to the scene, Dr Onyango said, was deputy head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), John Onyango, a team from the office of the Inspector General of Police and that from the Homicide team.
“This was a dormitory fire. It happened at night, and what might have led to it, we are yet to establish,” said Dr Onyango.
Parents wait for updates at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County where 17 children died in a night fire on September 6, 2024.
As at the time of the interview at 9am, Dr Onyango said, there was no confirmation yet whether the fire had been contained fully.
A worried parent at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County on September 6, 2024.
Anxious parents at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County on September 6, 2024.
There were initial fears that more bodies of the young pupils were still trapped, but there was no concrete confirmation yet.
Destroyed property at a dorm inside Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County where 17 children died in a night fire on September 6, 2024.
The 14 have been rushed to hospital, with the police service promising fresh updates throughout the day.
State officials start arriving at the site
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang arrived at Hillside Endarasha Academy around 11am. He said the school has a total enrolment of 824 students.
Of these, 402 are boys while 422 are girls. Of the total enrolment, 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.
The Nation has established that the structure of the dormitory was semi-permanent, with the walls built partly with stones and most of the structure made from wood.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki at the scene in Nyeri.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the cause of the inferno is still unknown.
"At this juncture, we cannot provide all information the public is seeking...but we assure that forensic information is being collected and we will get to the bottom of it. If anybody was culpable they will be held to account," he said.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is also set to visit the site.
