Panic as fire razes down dormitory at Isiolo girls

Property of unknown value was destroyed on Saturday September 7 evening after a fire incident at Isiolo Girls High School.

The incident on a dormitory housing unknown number of girls caused panic among parents and guardians even as locals rushed to the rescue of the students and property.

Police and the Kenya Red Cross Society announced that it had dispatched a rescue team to the scene.

“A fire incident has been reported at Isiolo Girls High School, Isiolo County. Response teams activated,” the Kenya Red Cross announced.

Police spokesperson Dr Resla Onyango said there were no casualties so far reported. She said locals joined in the fight to control and contain the spread of the fire.

She added investigators will tell the cause of the fire.

“The fire has been contained and experts are at the scene for investigations and other procedures,” she said adding the process of accounting all the students was ongoing.

She added Kenya Defence Forces fire engine came to rescue of the school and helped to contain the fire.

The incident came days after a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri killed 21 pupils. At least 25 others are admitted in hospitals.

Investigators are still pursuing the matter.

Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said a total of 19 bodies had been recovered at the site and another two died in hospital.

Out of the total 156 boys in the dorm at the time, 135 had now been accounted for, either at home or in hospital, he said.

“It is a catastrophe beyond our imagination,” Mwaura said at a press briefing at the site.

“It is truly devastating for the nation to lose such a number of young and promising Kenyans. Our hearts are heavy.”

The cause of the inferno is not yet known but homicide investigators and forensic experts are at the school, where media access has been blocked.

The charred bodies of victims, which police had said were burnt beyond recognition, were found in the dormitory, now a blackened shell with its corrugated iron roof completely collapsed.

Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor said postmortems will begin on Tuesday.

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga has instructed police to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the fire and “assess whether or not the tragedy may have resulted from negligence and/or recklessness of any responsibility holders,” his office said in a statement.

“Any person found culpable towards the fire tragedy shall be expediently taken through the due process of a criminal trial.”