STORY: Kenyan president orders probe after school fire kills 17 children
SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 6, 2024
DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:21
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the school
2. various of Kenya's deputy president inspecting the school
3. various of parents

STORYLINE:

Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered investigations into a school fire that killed 17 children and left 13 others with serious burn injuries on Thursday night.

Ruto said those responsible will be held to account for the fire that erupted at the Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri.

"I instruct the relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident," Ruto wrote in a post on social media after a phone call with the school's head. "Those responsible will be held to account."

The president also directed government agencies to mobilize resources to support those affected.

"This is heartbreaking; it is devastating," said Ruto as he prayed for a speedy recovery for the survivors and pledged support to the affected families.

The victims who died in the fire were aged between seven and 11, according to police.

National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango said that a team of security experts was on the ground to establish the cause of the fire.

The team will thoroughly examine the site, gather evidence, and interview witnesses to uncover the source of the fire and determine if any foul play was involved, Onyango said.

Witnesses said that sixteen children died at the scene and one more succumbed while being taken to hospital. There are fears that the death toll may increase.

The school is billed as one of the best in the region for academic performance. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)