Tragedy in Gilgil: At Least 10 Students Killed in Midnight Dormitory Fire at Utumishi Girls Academy

At least 10 students have been confirmed dead following a devastating dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The fire reportedly broke out at around 1.00am while students were asleep inside one of the school dormitories, triggering panic and frantic rescue efforts as firefighters, police officers and emergency responders rushed to the scene.

Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the deaths, saying search and rescue operations were still ongoing as authorities worked to account for all students affected by the inferno.

“Our teams are on the ground to gather more information and account for all the students as part of the investigations into the incident,” Ndanyi said.

Several students sustained injuries and were rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil and other nearby medical facilities for treatment as emergency teams battled the flames and evacuated survivors from the affected dormitory.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed it had deployed emergency response teams, ambulance crews and psychosocial support personnel to assist affected students and families following the tragedy.

Scenes of anguish and confusion were witnessed outside the school compound as anxious parents gathered at the gates seeking information about their children. Security officers restricted access to the institution as rescue and recovery efforts continued inside the school.

Authorities have not yet established the cause of the fire, but investigations have already commenced.

The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools, coming years after several deadly school dormitory fires were reported across the country.

Utumishi Girls Academy, located within the National Police College campus in Gilgil, is among the country’s well-known national girls’ schools.

More details are expected as rescue operations and official investigations continue.

The reports were confirmed by multiple local and international media outlets, including Reuters, The Star and AP. (the-star.co.ke)