15 students feared dead in Kenyan school fire

A devastating fire at a girls' boarding school in Kenya's Nakuru County has resulted in the suspected deaths of at least 15 students. The blaze broke out around 1:00 AM local time at Utumishi Girls Academy, plunging the community into grief and raising urgent questions about school safety.

Initial reports from local media indicated a significant loss of life, with some outlets reporting at least 10 girls deceased and others citing up to 16 fatalities. Citizen TV reported that 74 children were taken to the hospital, though official confirmation of the death toll is still pending from the police.

"First responders, paramedics, and our support teams are now on the ground," a spokesperson for the Kenya Red Cross told AFP, declining to provide a specific number of casualties. Desperate parents were reportedly kept away from the school buildings by authorities as the scale of the tragedy unfolded.

This incident is the latest in a series of deadly fires that have occurred in Kenyan schools, where boarding facilities are common. In 2024, a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County claimed the lives of 21 boys, highlighting a persistent safety concern within the country's educational institutions.

“

First responders, paramedics, and our support teams are now on the ground