2024 Nyeri school fire
School fire in Kenya
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Early in the morning of 5 September 2024, a fire broke out in a dormitory of Hillside Endarasha Academy, a school in Belle Vue, Nyeri County, Kenya, killing 21 students.[1]
| Date | 5 September 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | 2AM local time (11PM UK time) |
| Location | Belle Vue, Nyeri County, Kenya |
| Deaths | 21 |
Reactions
Following the fire, reports emerged of the dormitory having been overcrowded, and the National Gender and Equality Commission called for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fire.[2] A number of Kenyan boarding schools had had fire incidents in the years prior to the Nyeri fire,[3] the most serious one killing 67 students in a dormitory in 2021, and Education cabinet secretary Julius Ogamba released a statement saying that regulations concerning fire safety needed to be reviewed.[4]
President William Ruto declared 3 days of mourning and ordered an investigation into the fire.[1][4] In Vatican City Pope Francis sent condolences to the victims' families.[5]
Aftermath
The government announced that Hillside Endarasha Academy would reopen on 9 October, less than 5 weeks after the fire,[6] but on 12 October, a court order forced the school to close its boarding facilities again, due to concerns for the safety and health of the students.[7] During a court hearing in December, the owners stated that the school would reopen as a day school.[8]
