U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyDNA testing will begin on Monday to identify the bodies of children killed in a fire at a boarding school in Kenya, local authorities said.
At least 21 children, with an average age of nine, are believed to have died, with some of the bodies burned beyond recognition, an official told reporters.
At around 23:00 local time on Thursday, a fire broke out in a dormitory housing 156 boys at Hillside Endarasha Academy. Firefighters were delayed due to poor road conditions, but nearby residents rushed to help.
Officials said 17 children were still missing, with some parents and relatives camping out at the school seeking answers.
Government officials called on rescue workers to take the children back to school to help find their whereabouts.
The Red Cross has set up a tracing desk and is providing support to those affected.
The cause of the fire is unclear.
The chief prosecutor said in a statement that investigators should “assess whether this tragedy may have been caused by negligence and/or recklessness.”
Attorney General Renson Ingonga said the tragedy “brought back bad memories of other similar school fire incidents” which had repeatedly demonstrated a failure to adhere to safety standards.
Government spokesman Isaac Mwala said at the school on Saturday that it was “a disaster beyond our imagination”. “The loss of so many young and promising Kenyans is truly devastating for the country. Our hearts are heavy.”
Mwala urged the media not to “rush to conclusions” on the death toll as DNA testing takes days.
Criminal investigators and government pathologists cordoned off the scene Saturday for analysis.
President William Ruto has declared a three-day period of national mourning starting on Monday.
U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyA number of fires have occurred at Kenyan boarding schools in recent years, sparking national concerns about safety standards.
In 2022, a dormitory in western Kenya burned down and several students were later arrested on suspicion of arson.
In 2017, an arson attack occurred at Moi Girls’ High School in the capital Nairobi, killing 10 students.
Kenya’s worst school arson incident more than 20 years ago occurred in Machakos County, southeast of Nairobi, killing at least 67 students.
Report published four years ago Many secondary schools in Kenya are not adequately prepared to deal with fires and are not adhering to government safety standards, it has been warned.
A report by the country’s auditor general revealed that many schools lacked the proper equipment to deal with fire outbreaks and were not built to required safety standards.
