Fire guts Nyabondo Boys dormitory, second Kisumu school hit in hours

Nyabondo Boys Boarding Primary School in Nyakach, Kisumu County. [Courtesy]

A fire destroyed part of the boarding section at Nyabondo Boys Boarding Primary School in Nyakach, Kisumu County, forcing pupils to flee as teachers and residents battled the flames.

The blaze broke out on Monday evening, during evening preps, raging for more than 30 minutes before it was brought under control.

No casualties or injuries had been reported, though the fire caused significant damage to the dormitory and pupils' belongings, according to school authorities.

"We did everything possible to rescue the children's belongings before the fire spread further. It was a frightening experience because the flames were spreading very fast," said one resident who joined the rescue effort.

Parents were asked to collect their children as school management assessed the damage.

Pupils who lived in the destroyed dormitory were moved to other dormitories, where they had to share beds while the school sought alternative accommodation.

Police and fire investigators had not established the cause of the blaze.

The fire revived memories of a similar incident at the same school on Sunday, June 18, 2017, when a dormitory was completely destroyed days before pupils were due to break for half-term.

 The fire left 69 pupils without their uniforms, books and bedding, though no lives were lost.

The Nyabondo fire came hours after a separate blaze at Nduru Boys High School in South Mugirango, Kisii County, where two students were admitted to Nduru Level Four Hospital after inhaling smoke from a burning dormitory.

The Nduru fire broke out at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday during evening preps and gutted a dormitory housing 68 learners, most of them form two students.

Police said investigations into the cause were ongoing, and the two affected students were reported to be in stable condition.