In Pictures: Inside the Endarasha Academy fire that killed 17 students

Police officers keep guard at the scene of crime at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri where a dormitory was destroyed by fire. [Kibata Kihuu, Standard]

A somber mood has enveloped Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri County, where 17 students died early Friday after a fire destroyed a boys' dormitory.

Security agencies, including homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, and officials from the Ministry of Education, are at the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

Parents and guardians at Endarasha Academy wait for updates from the school administration. [Kibata Kihuu, Standard]

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is also expected to visit the school.

National leaders, including President William Ruto, Deputy President Gachagua, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Raila Odinga, have sent their condolences to the families of the victims.

Anxiety as parents and guardians await outside Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri. [Kibata Kihuu, Standard]

President Ruto has ordered an investigation, terming the fire a tragic event.

Former President Kenyatta described the loss as indescribable. "The loss of young lives, full of potential and hope for the future, is a pain that cannot be fully expressed. My heart goes out to the families who lost their children and to the school community devastated by this unimaginable tragedy," Kenyatta wrote on X.

Homicide detectives scour Endarasha Academy grounds for details. [Amos Kiarie, Standard]

Authorities, including the Kenya Red Cross, are on-site to offer psychosocial support to affected families and friends.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Kenya Red Cross pitches camp at the information desk at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Kieni, Nyeri on Friday, September 6. [Kibata Kihuu, Standard]