There was panic as two dormitories were destroyed after a fire broke out at St. Joseph Seminary in Baraka, Kuresoi North Sub-County, Nakuru County, on Saturday evening.
According to the police, the incident was reported by the director of the institution and the fire is said to have started at around 8 p.m. within the school compound.
This spread panic among parents who rushed to the scene.
Police officers, firefighters, and members of the public responded to the scene and managed to contain the blaze before it spread further.
The fire affected two student dormitories — St. Peter’s, which has a bed capacity of 35 students, and St. Gabriel’s, which accommodates 55 students.
Property destroyed in the incident included beds, mattresses, books, school uniforms, and other items whose value is yet to be determined.
At the time of the fire, all students were reportedly gathered in the school hall for a recreation and entertainment session, a circumstance that helped avert injuries and loss of life.
The seminary, which has a student population of about 125, confirmed that no one was injured during the incident.
Authorities have not yet established the cause of the fire. Investigations have been launched to determine the circumstances that led to the outbreak.
Police said an assessment of the damage is ongoing. It comes days after a fire killed 16 students at Utumishi Girls in Gilgil in an arson incident.
At least eight students were arrested and are likely to face murder charges.
Investigations show the students used mattresses and matchboxes to set on the fire.
They piled the mattresses at the entrance and lit the fire blocking the only exit.
This chocked some and burnt others.
At least seven students were injured in the drama that followed. The suspects are said to have been complaining about congestion at the dormitory and had shared the same with some teachers.
All the suspects are form three students at the school.
They were detained in separate police cells over the weekend pending their production in courts on Tuesday June 2.
Police said they are investigating murder and arson.
The bodies of the slain students were moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy and identification.
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