Arabic version: حريق مأساوي في سكن الطالبات يودي بحياة 16 طالبة في كينيا
A devastating fire in a girls’ school dormitory in Kenya has resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals and left 73 others hospitalized. The incident occurred early Thursday morning at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, approximately 120 kilometers north of Nairobi. The dormitory was housing around 220 girls at the time of the fire, according to local media reports.
Local authorities have confirmed that the fire broke out around 1:00 AM local time. While it remains unclear if all the casualties were children, the tragedy is reported to be the worst school fire in Kenya since a similar incident in 2024, which claimed 21 lives at Hillside Endarsha Academy. According to SBS News, first responders and ambulance crews were quickly dispatched to the scene.
Parents of the students were seen outside the school premises, anxiously awaiting news about their children as authorities managed the situation. The school is affiliated with the National Police Service and is located in an area that includes several military and training facilities.
Kenya has a history of tragic school fires, with many incidents attributed to arson. A report from 2017 by the National Crime Research Centre linked such fires to factors like exam stress and the communication of students via smuggled phones, which could lead to copycat incidents. Following the deadly 2024 fire, the Kenyan government pledged to conduct safety audits of schools and take legal action against violators.
