Families of children at a Kenyan primary school were anxiously awaiting news Saturday about their children who were missing in a fire that ripped through a school dormitory and killed 18 pupils.
Kenyan police investigations are accelerating today to uncover the circumstances of the fire.
“It is a disaster beyond our imagination,” government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said at a press briefing at the Indracha Hillside Academy where the fire broke out.
Kenyan Vice President Regathi Gatshagwa told reporters on Friday that 70 children were still missing.
The fire started at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County (central) around midnight on Thursday, engulfing dormitories where more than 150 boys were sleeping.
President William Ruto declared three days of mourning starting Monday after what he described as an “inexplicable tragedy”.
He said the dead children, aged between 9 and 13, were killed, while 14 others were injured and are receiving treatment in hospital.
“I pledge that the difficult questions that have been raised, such as how the tragedy occurred and why the response was not timely, will be answered fully and without fear or favour,” Ruto said in a statement.
“All individuals and entities involved will be held accountable and we will do everything we can to ensure that we never again experience a tragedy like this,” he added.
Gachagwa told reporters that 70 children were still missing, but that did not mean they were dead or injured, but that they were likely with relatives or had taken refuge with residents in the area.
He described the scene of the disaster as “horrific”, stressing that it would be necessary to use DNA testing techniques to identify the victims.
“The bodies recovered from the scene were burned beyond recognition,” said national police spokeswoman Resila Onyango.
Tensions rose among parents who gathered at the school to find out news about their missing loved ones.
Many of them collapsed after officials took them to view the charred bodies in the destroyed dormitories.
“Please, find my son. He can’t be dead. I want my child,” a woman said, sobbing as she left the school.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
“We parents are in a state of panic,” said Timothy Kinuthia, who is seeking information about his 13-year-old son.
The police imposed a cordon around the building and elements were deployed at all entry points.
The school, which has about 800 children, is located in a semi-rural area about 170 kilometres north of the capital, Nairobi.
#Families #dozens #missing #Kenya #school #fire #worry