UPDATE - Death toll in Kenyan school fire rises to 17

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF DEATH TOLL, REMARKS BY GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, CHANGES HEAD, DECK, LEDE

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – The death toll in a fire at central Kenyan school early Friday morning has risen to 17, authorities confirmed.

The blaze broke out at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Nairobi, engulfing a dormitory and reducing it to ashes.

Critically injured students have been rushed to Mathari Mission Hospital and Nyeri County Referral Hospital for treatment, Kenya’s government spokesperson Isaac Maigua Mwaura said in a statement.

“The affected dormitory housed boys from grades 4 to 8. A total of 156 boys were residing in the dormitory,” Mwaura said.

He added that emergency services are still determining the final number of fatalities, with updates to follow as more information becomes available.

The fire caused such extensive damage that identifying the victims has been difficult as many were burned beyond recognition, according to a local TV network.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

In September 2017, a fire at Moi Girls' School in Nairobi killed nine students, later determined to be an act of arson.