NAKURU, Kenya, May 28 (NECJOGHA News Desk ) — At least 10 students were killed when a fire tore through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County in the early hours of Thursday, with rescue operations still underway as emergency teams searched the burnt building for additional victims, police said.
Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the death toll on Thursday morning, saying the blaze broke out at around 1 a.m. while students were asleep and spread rapidly through the dormitory, triggering panic across the school compound. Several other students sustained injuries and were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to Ndanyi.
Firefighters, police officers and rescue personnel were deployed to the scene as efforts intensified to contain the blaze and evacuate students from the affected building. Authorities were still working to account for all students at the time of publication, Ndanyi said.
Investigations into the cause of the fire have been launched, the police commander said, though no preliminary findings had been made public. The full extent of structural damage to the dormitory had not been officially confirmed.
The Kenya Red Cross Society deployed teams to the school, providing psychosocial care, first aid and family tracing services to students, staff and relatives, the organisation said. Red Cross officials said the services were aimed at helping survivors cope and reconnect with family members in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
Fires at boarding school dormitories have posed a persistent safety concern across Kenya and the wider East Africa region. Several fatal incidents have been recorded in recent years, prompting repeated calls by authorities for improved fire safety standards and emergency preparedness in educational institutions.
Editors’ note: Death toll may rise as search operations continue. Reporters should seek updated figures from Nakuru County government, the Ministry of Education and hospital authorities. Comment from school administration and the families of victims should be pursued.
