At least 10 students are feared dead after a fire broke out at a dormitory in Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The Kenya Red Cross first confirmed the incident, noting that the fire is reported to have started around 1:00 a.m. and was subsequently reported at about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.

In a statement, Kenya Red Cross said: “Following a fire incident reported at around 3:30am at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya Red Cross responded to support the ongoing emergency response.”

“Our first responders, @EMS_Kenya ambulance crew and our psychosocial support personnel are currently on the ground supporting affected students alongside other responders and relevant authorities,” Kenya Red Cross added.

Emergency teams remain at the scene carrying out response operations and evaluating the situation while offering support to affected students. Officials have not provided further updates, as inquiries into the cause of the fire are still in progress.

Following reports of the tragedy, parents streamed to the school gates in large numbers, as police restricted entry and allowed only parents into the compound amid ongoing rescue and investigative operations.

The Rift Valley Regional Commander, Masoud Munyi, has said that they will allow only parents to gain access to the school as they carry out a head count.

“We have deployed our officers and DCI detectives to the school, and a head count is currently underway to establish exactly how many students were present at the time of the fire. For now, only parents will be allowed access into the school,” stated Masooud.

The injured students were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil for assessment and treatment.