School Dorm Fire Kills 16 Students and Injures 74

A devastating fire tore through a girls’ boarding school dormitory in Kenya while students were sleeping, killing 16 students and injuring 74 others.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, about 77 miles west of Nairobi.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, emergency crews were called to the school around 3:30 a.m. after reports of a massive fire. Police told reporters the fire is believed to have started around 1 a.m., while many of the students were still asleep inside the dormitory.

When officers arrived, the dormitory block was already engulfed in flames, according to local reports.

The dormitory reportedly housed 220 students.

A police official confirmed that 16 students had died and 74 others were being treated in the hospital, according to the BBC.

Kenya Red Cross said its first responders, ambulance crews and psychosocial support personnel were on the ground helping affected students alongside other emergency teams and authorities.

Police commander Masoud Mwinyi described the scene as heartbreaking.

“It is a sad and distressing situation,” he said while speaking outside the school, where anxious parents and relatives had gathered.

Authorities said some students were still being searched for after fleeing into nearby areas in fear during the fire.

“As we speak, our officers are combing the area because some students fled in shock and fear during the night,” Mwinyi said.

Access to the school was restricted as police investigated, with only parents allowed into the compound.

Families rushed to the school after hearing the terrifying news. Wambui Nderitu, whose cousin attends the academy, said relatives were told to line up when they arrived.

“Most of us were so worried because we had heard some students had died and others were injured and in the hospital,” Nderitu said.

Some students were reportedly hurt while trying to escape the flames by jumping from the upper floor of the dormitory.

“Some of those at the top floor had to jump out, that’s why they are injured,” Nderitu said.

She later found her cousin alive, but injured.

“I found her… she is fine… but she has a broken leg,” she said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

The tragedy has renewed painful memories of Kenya’s long history of deadly school fires. In 2001, 67 students were killed in Machakos County after a dormitory was set on fire. In 2024, at least 21 people died in another dormitory fire in central Kenya. Some school fires in the country have been linked to arson, while others were ruled accidental.

Following Thursday’s tragedy, Kenya’s Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services said it was expressing “profound sorrow” over the fire and the loss of young lives.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, guardians, school community, and all those affected by this unfortunate tragedy,” the ministry said. “We also wish a quick recovery to all injured learners currently receiving medical attention.”

Kenyan President William Ruto also offered prayers for the grieving families.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil,” Ruto said, according to The Star.