Several Die In Fire At Kenyan Girls' Boarding School

NAIROBI, May 28 (dpa) -- At least 16 pupils have been killed and 74 injured in a fire that broke out in the early hours of the morning at a girls' boarding school here, Kenya local media reported on Thursday, citing a police officer at the scene.

Police and emergency services have so far officially confirmed multiple fatalities and numerous injuries, without giving numbers. They said the wounded are being treated at hospitals in the Nakuru district of Kenya's Rift Valley.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen arrived at the scene to assess the situation.

The Kenyan Red Cross said the fire was reported at around 4:30 am. No information on the cause has been released.

Kenya has experienced previous fire disasters at boarding schools. In several cases, pupils were unable to escape because of barred windows or locked dormitories.

In September 2024, 17 boys died in a fire at a boarding school near the town of Nyeri. In rural areas especially, many pupils attend boarding schools because it is the only way to access secondary education - there are no school buses and the walk to school can take several hours.

--NNN-dpa