Death toll rises to 16 after deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Academy
Death toll rises to 16 after deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Academy
Police in Nakuru have confirmed that the death toll at Utumishi Girls Academy has risen to 16 students, up from 10, while 74 others remain hospitalised with varying degrees of injuries.
At least 16 students are feared dead after a fire broke out at a dormitory in Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, during the early hours of Thursday morning, triggering panic among parents, teachers, and residents gathering outside the school.
Reports indicate the fire started at around 1am, although the Kenya Red Cross said the incident was officially reported at about 3.30am, as emergency teams rushed to the institution to contain the situation and support affected students.
“Following a fire incident reported at around 3:30am at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya Red Cross responded to support the ongoing emergency response,” stated Kenya Red Cross.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that its psychosocial support teams had already arrived at the school to assist traumatised students, parents, and teachers as uncertainty continued to surround the scale of the overnight tragedy.
“Our first responders, E-Plus ambulance crew and our psychosocial support personnel are currently on the ground supporting affected students alongside other responders and relevant authorities,” stated Kenya Red Cross.
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Police officers and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were deployed to the school immediately after the incident, with authorities launching a head count to determine the number of students present during the deadly dormitory fire.
Parents streamed to the school gates in large numbers as news of the tragedy spread across Gilgil and neighbouring areas, with police restricting access and only allowing parents into the compound while investigations and rescue operations continued.
The Rift Valley Regional Commander, Masoud Munyi, has said that they will allow only parents to gain access to the school as they carry out a head count.
“We have deployed our officers and DCI detectives to the school, and a head count is currently underway to establish exactly how many students were present at the time of the fire. For now, only parents will be allowed access into the school,” stated Masooud.
Even with the police allowing the parents inside the school, some parents still say that they are not aware of the situation of their kids.
The injured students have reportedly been taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil for assessment and treatment.
The incident is the latest in a rising wave of school fire outbreaks that have forced mmsome institutions to close indefinitely.
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