At least 16 students killed in fire at Kenya girls school dorm

Education curate says 16 killed, 79 injured astatine Utumishi Girls School successful Gilgil, cardinal Kenya.

At slightest 16 students person been killed erstwhile a occurrence ripped done a dormitory astatine a girls schoolhouse successful a municipality successful cardinal Kenya, constabulary and a authorities authoritative say.

Education Minister Julius Ogamba said connected Thursday that 79 were injured aft the occurrence broke retired overnight astatine the Utumishi Girls School successful Gilgil, Nakuru County.

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The origin of the occurrence was ‌not instantly known.

Police said they were starring rescue and exigency effect efforts successful the town, located astir 120km (74 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.

An injured pupil is evacuated pursuing an aboriginal greeting occurrence outbreak astatine Utumishi Girls School successful the Gilgil area, cardinal Kenya, Thursday, May 28, 2026 [Andrew Kasuku/AP Photo]

Footage aired by Citizen Television showed breached model panes and smoke-stained walls.

Masoud Mwinyi, a elder constabulary commander, told reporters astatine the schoolhouse that ⁠50 officers were combing areas astir the installation for students who whitethorn ⁠have fled erstwhile the occurrence ⁠broke out. “Of that daze and fearfulness and anxiety, galore radical went out, and it was astatine night,” helium said.

Kenya has a agelong past of schoolhouse fires. More than 60 cases of arson successful nationalist secondary schools were recorded successful 2018 alone, according to authorities data. ⁠Many of the fires person ⁠been acceptable by students protesting against harsh subject and mediocre conditions, researchers person found.

In 2024, a occurrence ‌killed 21 students astatine a superior boarding schoolhouse successful adjacent Nyeri County. The origin of that occurrence ‌has ‌not been conclusively established.

In 2017, 10 students died successful a schoolhouse occurrence successful Nairobi. A pupil was charged with murder.