Pain, agony and heartbreaks yesterday engulfed Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County after a tragic fire claimed at least 17 lives and left 14 others seriously injured.
Emotions ran high as hundreds of parents, teachers, and pupils struggled to come to terms with the tragic incident that ended the dreams of academic enthusiasts.
The blaze, whose cause is still under investigation, broke out at around 11 pm and raged for over four hours before being extinguished by local and county fire brigades.
The tragic incident sent shock waves through the local community, with parents and loved ones gathering at the school, desperate for information about their children.
Some were too distraught to speak while others sobbed uncontrollably as they sought the whereabouts of their kin.
By 5 pm, none of the bodies had been removed from the scene as investigators cordoned off the scene and continued with their probe to establish what could have happened.
But despite the blockage, the piercing stench of death and the heartbreaks from residents, distraught parents and pupils, hovered around the school.
This happened as a number of parents claimed they were yet to account for their kin but claimed they were optimistic that their children survived the inferno.
Trauma centre
A temporary trauma centre set up at the school by the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) was a beehive of activity as counsellors from the institution counselled children who were affected by the incident and traumatized parents.
According to John Muriiithi Rukwaro, a parent and an immediate neighbor of the school, he was woken up by sirens from a fire fighting vehicle and he got out of his house only to find a huge cloud of smoke coming from the school.
"I was deep asleep, but the noise from the firefighting vehicle woke me up," he said. "It is very rare for these vehicles to come to our area, so I was curious about what was going on. After I got out of the house, I saw a huge dark cloud of smoke coming from the school, and I immediately rushed there."
He added that the situation at the school was chaotic as students were running up and down to save their lives. The local communities around the school, with the help of the Nyeri County fire brigade, tried to put out the fire.
"It was a horrific scene. The fire had engulfed the entire dormitory so quickly. We tried our best to get everyone out, but the smoke and flames were overwhelming," he said.
He added that his grandson, who is a Grade Six pupil at the school, is still missing.
"After we managed to put out the fire, I started looking for my grandson who was a student in the school, but until now we have not seen him," he said.
Nderi Kiama, a parent at the school, said he received a call from a neighbour around midnight who informed him that they had his son at their home after rescuing him from the school.
"The call was from a neighbor of the school who informed me that my son was at their house after the fire incident," he said. "I live far from the school, so I could not travel at the time. I came here so early to see what had happened and ensure that my son was safe," he said.
According to the Acting Regional Commissioner, Pius Murugu, 152 boys were sleeping at the dormitory where the fire started. He noted that 16 boys were burnt to death, while one died on his way to the Mt Kenya Hospital in Nyeri.
The official noted that 14 students escaped with serious injuries and were taken to nearby medical facilities, including Nyeri Level 5 Hospital, Mathari Consolata Hospital, and Kenyatta Annex Level 6 Hospital
"We were alerted by the neighboring community about the fire tragedy around midnight, and immediately we sent a team to the scene," said Murugu. "The officers received the information about the tragedy around midnight and mobilized emergency teams to respond in good time."
Forensic investigations
The school located in Endarasha, Nyeri County has a total of 824 pupils, out of which 402 were boys and 422 were girls. Out of this enrollment, 156 boys and 160 girls are boarders, while the rest of the population were day scholars. All the 156 boys were sleeping in the ill-fated dormitory.
He added that the DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) is conducting a forensic investigation since some bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
"We want to do DNA tests to identify them. We are still tracing those that are missing. The Kenya Red Cross is also leading the effort," he said.
Education PS Bellio Kipsang expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by the incident tragedy.
"An investigation will be conducted at the school, and the government will offer full support to determine exactly what happened," he said.
He has assured that students across the country are safe, stating that students in Grade 6 and Form Four will still be able to sit for their exams as planned.
"I want to assure all parents across the country that the government has put measures in place to ensure students in schools nationwide are safe. There is no need to panic, as this was an accident. The government has promised to offer full support," he said.
Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Ahmed Idriss said they have already set up camps in different classrooms in the school to offer comprehensive support and counselling to the parents and victims affected by the tragedy.
"Our teams are working around the clock to provide the best possible care for the parents and learners. The situation is critical, and we are doing everything we can to save lives," he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki urged parents who may have picked up their children from the school to return them and members of the community who offered help during the emergency to come forward.
"We are trying to account for every child. We are asking parents who may have picked up their children and members of the community who may have assisted last night to help account for them, the aim is to ensure that all students are accounted for and to aid in the ongoing response to the tragedy," he said.
He added that the government will work with different authorities to put together information and provide support to affected families.
"When the investigation is done, we shall give a factual report but I want to assure parents that any person who might have been involved in the tragedy will face the full force of the law," he said.
President William Ruto described the incident as unfortunate and instructed relevant authorities to investigate the matter.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. This is devastating news," he said.
