17 students dead and over 70 injured after fire razes dormitory at Kenyan girls' school

At least 17 students dead and over 70 injured after a fire broke out in a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, during the early hours of Thursday, police said.The fire reportedly started at around 1 am while students were asleep, rapidly spreading through the building and causing panic within the school compound. The Kenya Red Cross said the incident was officially reported at about 3:30 am.Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the deaths on Thursday morning, saying rescue efforts were still underway as emergency teams continued searching through the burnt dormitory.Several students were also injured and were rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Gilgil for treatment, according to police.The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that its psychosocial support teams had arrived at the school to assist traumatised students, parents, and teachers."Our first responders, E-Plus ambulance crew and our psychosocial support personnel are currently on the ground supporting affected students alongside other responders and relevant authorities," the Kenya Red Cross stated.Police officers and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were deployed immediately after the incident, with authorities launching a head count to determine the number of students present during the fire.Parents streamed to the school gates in large numbers as news of the tragedy spread across Gilgil and neighbouring areas. Police restricted access, only allowing parents into the compound while investigations and rescue operations continued.Ndanyi said investigations had already begun to establish the cause of the deadly fire, even as authorities worked to account for all students affected by the tragedy.The incident is the latest in a rising wave of school fire outbreaks in Kenya that have forced some institutions to close indefinitely.