At least 17 pupils killed in Kenya school fire – police

At least 17 pupils have died after a school in central Kenya caught fire on Thursday night, police said.

There are fears the death toll could rise as more than a dozen others have been taken to hospital with severe burns.

The cause of the fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county is not yet known.

President William Ruto called the fire “horrific” and “devastating”, and has ordered an investigation.

“Those responsible will be held to account,” Mr Ruto wrote on social media.

A team of investigators has been deployed to the school, police said.

Police spokesperson Resila Onyango told AFP news agency that bodies recovered were “burnt beyond recognition”.

“More bodies are likely to be recovered once (the) scene is fully processed,” she added.

The Kenya Red Cross said it is providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families, and has set up a tracing desk at the school.

School fires are relatively common in Kenyan boarding schools.

In 2017, 10 students died in an arson attack at Moi Girls High School in the capital Nairobi.

At least 67 students died in Machakos County, south-east of Nairobi, in the deadliest Kenyan school arson that took place more than 20 years ago.

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