{"id":1826,"date":"2026-05-28T09:45:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/28\/dormitory-fire-at-kenyan-school-kills-at-least-15-students\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:45:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:45:36","slug":"dormitory-fire-at-kenyan-school-kills-at-least-15-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1826","title":{"rendered":"Dormitory fire at Kenyan school kills at least 15 students"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"bf8984ec-816f-4f5a-b882-1561a62be0c8\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Security officers stand outside the fire-damaged dormitory at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/13dc2ef33ef6526bddb9ed93272f693e6a2b6680\/1220_0_4280_3424\/master\/4280.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Security officers stand outside the fire-damaged dormitory at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil.<\/span> Photograph: Monica Mwangi\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"bf8984ec-816f-4f5a-b882-1561a62be0c8\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Security officers stand outside the fire-damaged dormitory at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil.<\/span> Photograph: Monica Mwangi\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Dormitory fire at Kenyan school kills at least 15 students<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Parents face anxious wait for updates after blaze tears through Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A fire that ripped through a dormitory at a girls\u2019 school in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/kenya\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Kenya<\/a> overnight has killed at least 15 students, according to police, while dozens more were injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Gilgil police station said at least 15 girls died at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county, about 76 miles north-east of Nairobi, according to a police report seen by Reuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A police source told Agence France-Presse that 16 people had been killed, most of them children, while 73 were hospitalised. The cause of the fire in the dormitory, where about 220 girls were sleeping, has not yet been confirmed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The tragedy is the latest fatal fire at a school in Kenya in recent years. In 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/09\/06\/g-s1-21220\/kenya-fire-school-dormitory\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">21 boys were killed<\/a> at a boarding school in central Kenya when a fire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/article\/2024\/sep\/06\/kenya-primary-boarding-school-fire\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">tore through their dormitory<\/a>, while in 2017 nine girls died in a blaze at a school in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e5960db0-5165-408a-b2ff-faf0b0c652c7\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An injured Utumishi academy student is carried to safety.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/c05d9ff5809f5dc072cdcd10b78a8b894a323c92\/0_0_5163_3697\/master\/5163.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"318.64516753825296\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"e5960db0-5165-408a-b2ff-faf0b0c652c7\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">An injured Utumishi academy student is carried to safety.<\/span> Photograph: Andrew Kasuku\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In 2016, there were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2016\/sep\/02\/why-are-kenya-students-torching-their-own-dormitories\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">about 120 incidents<\/a> of students setting fire to their sleeping quarters. A 2022 report by the country\u2019s auditor general found that most state secondary schools were not prepared to deal with fires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KenyaRedCross\/status\/2059883846649176430\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Kenyan Red Cross said on X<\/a> that the blaze in Gilgil was reported at about 3.30am on Thursday. \u201cSeveral students have been evacuated and are receiving treatment in various hospitals,\u201d it said. \u201cA multi-agency response involving the county fire brigade, county disaster response teams,<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PoliceKE\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> @PoliceKE<\/a> and Kenya Red Cross remains ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Masoud Mwinyi, an assistant to the deputy inspector general of Kenya\u2019s police, told local media that officers were searching for pupils who may have escaped the fire but were still unaccounted for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe are combing the area because out of that shock and fear and anxiety, many people went out and it was at night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Dozens of parents gathered at the school on Thursday morning, frantically searching for news of their children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wambui Nderitu <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cx21kkxq81po\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told the BBC<\/a> her niece had survived the fire but broken her leg. She added: \u201cSome of those at the top floor had to jump out, that\u2019s why they are injured.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/kenya\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Kenya<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Dormitory%20fire%20at%20Kenyan%20school%20kills%20at%20least%2015%20students&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/may\/28\/dormitory-fire-at-kenya-school-students-utumishi-girls-academy-gilgil?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fmay%2F28%2Fdormitory-fire-at-kenya-school-students-utumishi-girls-academy-gilgil&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/may\/28\/dormitory-fire-at-kenya-school-students-utumishi-girls-academy-gilgil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Security officers stand outside the fire-damaged dormitory at Utumishi girls academy in Gilgil. Photograph: Monica Mwangi\/Reuters View image in fullscreen Security officers stand outside the fire-damaged dormitory at Utumishi girls &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1826\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}