School fire in Kenya kills at least 10 students

A fire broke out at Utumishi Girls Academy in Kenya early Monday, claiming the lives of at least 10 students, according to a report by Mehr News citing Reuters. The fire started at around 1 a.m. local time (2200 GMT Sunday) in the school's dormitory, as reported by radio station Capital FM, quoting Samuel Ndanyi, the regional police commander.

County police official Masoud Mwinyi expressed grief to distraught parents gathered outside the school, stating, "It is a distressing and saddening situation," as broadcast by Citizen Television. Firefighters and police officers were deployed to control the blaze and evacuate other students, Capital FM added.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. This incident follows a similar tragedy in 2024, when a fire killed 21 students at a primary boarding school in nearby Nyeri County. According to the report by Mehr News, emergency rescue teams were still searching the dormitory for any remaining victims.