Grief stricken parents demand answers for 70 missing students after school fire

Kenya Red Cross Society personnel assist a parent who was overwhelmed after viewing the dormitory that was gutted by fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri county on September 6, 2024. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Days after a devastating fire swept through Hillside Endarasha Academy, claiming the lives of 21 students, parents, and guardians are in anguish over the fate of 70 students who remain unaccounted for.

With limited information from authorities, families are living a nightmare, desperate for any news of their missing loved ones.

Several parents pitched tent at the institution eager to find answers on the whereabouts of their children.

The fire broke out on Thursday night, around 11 pm, and engulfed the school's dormitory where 156 students were sleeping.

According to John Mwangi, a father of two boys who were in Grades 5 and 7 at the school, they have been camping at the school compound for the past two days with no information from the government or the authorities.

"We are living in agony, not knowing where our children are. The government needs to stop hiding information and tell us what happened to our children," he said.

Mwangi, whose Grade 5 pupil is still missing, said he received a call from his elder son, who is in Grade 7. The elder son was using the phone of a parent who had come to pick up their child after they had managed to put out the fire at around 1 pm. Mwangi then drove from Embu to Nyeri.

"My son called me using his friend's parent phone. He informed me of what had happened, and he told me he was still looking for his brother. I could not sleep, and I immediately started travelling to Nyeri. By 4 amon Friday, I was in the school compound," he said.

He added that for the two days he has been camping in the school, the government and authorities have provided few details so far, only stating that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

"Each hour that passes is torture, we need answers, and we need them now, we need to know if our kids are alive or the worse has happened," he said.

He added that despite promises of hourly updates from the government, parents are now running out of patience.

"We have been here long enough, and we need to know the truth. The government has just said that 21 pupils have been found today, but where are they right now? They should show us the children so that we can identify if our children are alive. We are not even in our right senses right now. As parents, we are in total darkness," he said.

 Josephine Wanjiru Kuria burst into tears as she narrated how she received a call from a parent who was at the school to pick his child, and she was informed about the incident, but never got to speak to his son who was said to be helping others during the tragedy.

"I was asleep at the time of the tragedy, but my son and his friends had managed to get out of the dormitory. They were helping other students. His friend's parent had made it to the scene before me, and they even called me. But up to now, I don't know where my son is," he said.

She added that she has visited local hospitals and police stations, clinging to any shred of hope that her children will be found safe, but so far, her desperate pleas for information have gone largely unanswered.

"Our children went to that school to get an education, not to die, we demand the government tell us the truth about what happened and where our babies are," she said.

 Josephine, whose 13-year-old son in 7th grade is still missing, said that they are tired of the government dispatching aid to the school. The aid package includes dry foods, supplies, and medical kits to respond to the incident, as the parents there fear for the well-being of their children.

"For two days, we have been here, but no communication is being made. We are only being told to give out our details to the authorities, but when we demand answers, they are ignoring us. How long shall we camp here? Is my son still out there, and I don't know, or did he die during the tragedy? I hope he is still out there, since he and his friends were helping others," she said.

Angeline Wambui, a mother to an 11-year-old son in 6th grade, had just arrived from Mombasa. She was confused, in shock, and could not get the words out of her mouth as she narrated how she came to learn of the tragedy that had befallen the school on Friday, while she was watching the news on a local television.

"I cannot believe. I sent my son to school two weeks ago, but now I cannot find him," she said.

She added that after she found out about the tragedy, she immediately called a parent whose child was in the school only to be informed that her son had been seen outside the dormitory during the tragedy, but since then, he has not been traced anywhere.

"I called my relatives who live nearby and asked them to rush to the school to find out if my son is alive, but they have not yet traced him. I don't know where to start," she said.

As parents reel, they are calling for a full, transparent investigation into the fire and the fate of the missing students. They want accountability, and they want it now.

"We will not rest until we know what happened to our children, this is every parent's worst nightmare, and we refuse to let the government sweep it under the rug," Josephine said.

"This school was supposed to be a safe place for our kids, but it has become a place of unspeakable horror. We sent our children here to learn and grow, not to die in flames," John Mwangi added.

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