A devastating dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, approximately 120km north-west of Nairobi in Kenya's central Nakuru region, has tragically claimed the lives of sixteen students. Dozens of other students sustained injuries, with 71 later discharged from hospital and seven admitted for further treatment, according to Education Minister Julius Ogamba, who visited the scene.

The inferno erupted in the early hours of Thursday, at around 1 a.m. (2200 GMT), while students were asleep. Emergency rescue teams, firefighters, and police officers swiftly responded to control the blaze and evacuate other students. The fire, which started on the first floor of one of the dormitories, was eventually extinguished by approximately 3 a.m., but not before the dormitory was "completely destroyed."

The incident has caused immense distress among parents and relatives who gathered anxiously outside the school, waiting for news of their loved ones. County police official Masoud Mwinyi addressed the distraught parents, acknowledging the "distressing and saddening situation." Regional police commander Samuel Ndanyi also confirmed the search efforts at the dormitory.

Both Education Minister Julius Ogamba and Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families. Minister Ogamba indicated that the school would begin releasing students to their parents and guardians as authorities continue their investigations into the fire's cause, which remains unknown at this time. This tragic event echoes a previous incident in 2024 where a fire at a primary boarding school in nearby Nyeri county killed 21 students.