A fire erupted in the dormitory of an all-girls boarding school in the town of Gilgil, Kenya, during the middle of the night while students were asleep. The blaze caused at least 16 fatalities and injured another 74. Authorities are urgently searching for missing students and investigating the cause of the fire.
Police officials from Nakuru County, Kenya, confirmed the official death toll has risen to at least 16. Additionally, 74 students remain hospitalized with injuries of varying severity after a major fire at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, located about 120 kilometers west of Nairobi.
Reports state the fire started around 1:00 a.m. local time on Thursday (28 May) at the dormitory building housing approximately 220 female students, all of whom were asleep at the time, causing the fire to spread rapidly.
The Kenya Red Cross said they received the official alert around 3:30 a.m. and immediately dispatched emergency medical teams, ambulances, and psychological support personnel to the scene, working urgently alongside other agencies, as students, teachers, and parents were shocked and anxious upon hearing the news.
Wambui Nderitu, a guardian whose granddaughter attends the school, described a scene of confusion and fear outside the school. Many parents anxiously lined up after learning of the multiple deaths and injuries. She added that several students suffered serious injuries after jumping from upper floors of the dormitory to escape the flames.
Masood Muji, Rift Valley Regional Police Commander, said the situation remains tense. During the chaos, some students fled beyond the school grounds out of fear. Authorities are now conducting a thorough search to locate and bring these children back as quickly as possible.
Currently, police and investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have taken strict control and cordoned off the school premises. Only students’ parents are allowed access inside to enable officials to conduct checks and "account for the students," determining who remains unaccounted for or missing.
All 74 injured students have been taken to Saint Joseph Hospital in Gilgil for urgent assessment and treatment. Meanwhile, the cause of the fire remains under detailed investigation by forensic experts.
Fire incidents at Kenyan boarding schools have become increasingly common and severe in recent years, leading many institutions to close indefinitely. Investigations into past incidents often highlight overcrowded dormitories and failure to comply with fire safety regulations as key factors driving the high fatality rates in such tragedies.