Sixteen pupils killed in Kenya school fire, local police say

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Sixteen pupils killed in Kenya school fire, local police sayJust now Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBasillioh RukangaNairobiRobert MainaWorried parents gathered outside the school in GilgilSixteen students have been killed in a fire at a boarding school in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) west of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, a policeman told journalists at the scene. Seventy-four other students are being treated in hospital after being injured, he added. The fire at the Utumishi Girls school started in the early hours of Thursday morning when the students were asleep, according to the Kenya Red Cross and police.

Police said search-and-rescue operations were under way with authorities yet to establish the cause of the fire. The Kenya Red Cross said emergency responders were on ground to offer support. "It is a sad and saddening situation," police commander Masoud Mwinyi said, speaking to parents and crowds outside the school.

The Details

Fires are not uncommon in Kenyan boarding schools, with several deadly incidents reported in recent years. Overcrowding and the failure to follow safety guidelines have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties. Mwinyi said investigations were ongoing.

The school has been cordoned off, with only parents being allowed inside. Getty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica. com for more news from the African continent.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.