Fire at Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory kills 16

A fire in a girls' dormitory in Kenya on Thursday killed 16 children and hospitalised 79 in the latest deadly blaze to hit a school in the East African country.

The fire broke out shortly before 1:00 am local time at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital Nairobi, officials said.

There have been many devastating school fires in Kenya, where boarding schools are common as a colonial legacy of missionaries and the British.

"We have 16 fatalities. It's an unfortunate incident," Education Minister Julius Migos Ogamba told reporters at the scene, without giving ages for the victims.

The affected dormitory had shattered windows, blackened walls and a crumpled corrugated iron roof, an AFP journalist saw.

Parents of the victims were in the process of being informed by health workers at the site mid-afternoon as bodies were identified.

A distraught mother, Leila Matura, 52, said her 18-year-old daughter was still missing.

"We went to the hospital to see if she was there, but she is not there. So they are telling us, she is not around, she is among the missing," she told AFP.

"Whether she is dead or alive, we do not know. I'm hopeless," she added.

Another mother, who did not wish to be named, said her 17-year-old daughter was in the hospital.

"She broke both her legs jumping from the window. Thank God she is strong. It is every mother's nightmare," she said.

The school is linked to the National Police Service and most pupils are the children of officers.

"When we arrived, the fire was still blazing. It was so big... It took about 45 minutes to extinguish the flames because of the mattresses inside," a firefighter, who identified himself only as Fred because he was not authorised to speak to the press, told AFP.

'Unimaginable tragedy'

As night fell, forensic investigations continued as white body bags were brought out and lined up outside the dormitory, an AFP journalist saw.

"Is she among the dead? Just let me know. I've been here since six in the morning," Denis, a father of a missing 15-year-old girl, said.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters," President William Ruto said on X, describing it as an "unimaginable tragedy".

Children have been accused of deliberately starting school fires in Kenya in the past. One report found there were 63 arson cases at schools in 2018 alone.

Pupils were accused after a 2001 dormitory fire in the southern county of Machakos killed 67.

A 2024 dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County killed 21 boys, prompting government promises of nationwide school safety audits and prosecutions, though it remains unclear whether the measures were implemented. 

On Thursday, the education minister said the ministry had closed around 350 schools since 2024 for failing to comply with safety standards.

"We will continue inspections to ensure that our schools meet the safety standards in force, he pledged.