15 Students Killed in Deadly Overnight Fire at Kenyan Girls’ School Dormitory

A devastating overnight fire at a girls’ boarding school in Kenya has left at least 15 students dead and dozens more injured, according to local police and emergency officials.

The blaze broke out at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, roughly 76 miles northeast of Nairobi, during the early hours of Thursday morning while hundreds of students were asleep inside a dormitory.

Authorities confirmed that at least 15 girls lost their lives in the tragedy, while many others were rushed to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from burns to fractures. Some reports from local officials suggested the death toll could rise, with emergency teams continuing search and rescue operations around the school grounds.

Police said approximately 220 students were sleeping in the dormitory when the fire erupted. The exact cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, and investigations are ongoing.

The Kenyan Red Cross reported that the fire was first detected at around 3:30 a.m. Emergency responders, including firefighters, police officers, disaster response teams, and medical personnel, quickly arrived at the scene to evacuate students and contain the flames.

Officials also launched a search for several students who were initially unaccounted for in the aftermath of the incident. Authorities believe some pupils may have fled the area in panic during the chaotic evacuation.

Speaking to local media, Masoud Mwinyi, an assistant to Kenya’s deputy inspector general of police, said rescue teams were combing nearby areas to locate missing students.

“Due to the shock, fear, and confusion during the night, many students ran from the dormitory, and we are still trying to account for everyone,” he explained.

Heartbroken parents gathered outside the school on Thursday morning, desperately seeking information about their children.

One relative, Wambui Nderitu, told the BBC that her niece survived the fire but suffered a broken leg while escaping. She said several students on the upper floor were forced to jump from windows to avoid the flames, leading to multiple injuries.

The tragedy has once again raised serious concerns over fire safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools. In recent years, the country has experienced several deadly school fires. In 2024, 21 boys died after a dormitory fire at a boarding school in central Kenya, while another fire in Nairobi’s Kibera area killed nine girls in 2017.

A government audit conducted in 2022 previously warned that many secondary schools across Kenya lacked proper fire preparedness and emergency response systems.

As investigations continue, the nation mourns another heartbreaking loss of young lives in a school fire disaster.