Eight girls detained over suspected involvement in Kenyan school fire

Fire Breaks Out at Kenyan Girls’ Academy, Killing 16 and Wounding 79

A fire broke out at the Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Kenya, on Thursday morning, resulting in the deaths of 16 students and injuring 79 others. Eight students have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the suspected arson attack.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, preliminary investigations have identified eight individuals as “persons of interest” in connection with the planning and execution of the fire. The girls are currently in police custody.

Police are still investigating potential arson and speaking with parents who were unable to contact their children following the incident. Some parents reported that they had not seen their children since the early morning, while others said that their loved ones were being interrogated by authorities.

Student Hilda Njeri was among those affected by the fire, which she described as “very big”. She suffered injuries to her leg and lower back and was taken to hospital by the principal. The school’s administration has been criticized for failing to follow safety rules, including overcrowding in dorms and a locked emergency exit.

The Kenyan government has announced that it will take disciplinary action against any staff found to have neglected their duties. The school board of management has also been disbanded. This incident follows other fires at schools in Kenya, including a blaze in 2024 that killed 21 students at a primary boarding school and an arson attack in 2001 that killed 67 schoolboys at Kyanguli Secondary School.

Source: Al Jazeera