At least seventeen pupils died when fire razed Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding primary school in Nyeri county, Kenya.
Gatekeepers News reports that fourteen people were left wounded in the inferno that occurred late Thursday night.
It is feared that the death toll could rise as over a dozen others have been taken to hospital with severe burns.
Spokesperson for Kenyan national police service, Resila Onyango said the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
Onyango added that the cause of the incident is not known yet, but the service will update the public when it finds out more.
According to the police; more than 150 pupils were in the dormitory when it caught fire at around midnight local time.
Local reports attributed the swift spread of the fire to the timber the school is made from.
Sixteen students died in one fell swoop as the fire razed one of the dormitories where the students stayed.
President of the country, William Ruto referred to the fire as “horrific” and “devastating”, and ordered the force to begin an investigation into the cause of the incident.
Ruto said in a statement released on Friday, “Those responsible will be held to account.”
“The Government under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of the National Government is mobilising all the necessary resources to support the affected families.”
Kenya Red Cross said it is providing psychosocial support and has set up a tracing desk at the school.
