DNA tests to identify children who died in Kenya school fire

DNA testing will begin on Monday to identify the bodies of children who died in a fire at a Kenyan boarding school, local authorities have said.

At least 21 children, with an average age of nine, are believed to have died, with one official telling journalists some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

The fire broke out in a dormitory housing 156 boys at the Hillside Endarasha Academy around 23:00 local time on Thursday. Firefighters were delayed by bad roads, but people living nearby rushed to help with rescue efforts.

Officials say 17 children remain unaccounted for – with some parents and relatives camping at the school to demand answers.

Government officials have called on those who helped rescue students to bring the children back to the school to help with tracing.

The Red Cross have set up a tracing desk and are offering support to those affected.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Investigators should “assess whether or not the tragedy may have resulted from negligence and/or recklessness”, the chief prosecutor said in a statement.

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga said the tragedy “evokes bad memories of other similar school fire incidents” that many times pointed to a failure to comply with safety standards.

It “is a catastrophe beyond our imagination”, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said at the school on Saturday. “It is truly devastating for the nation to lose such a number of young and promising Kenyans. Our hearts are heavy.”

Mr Mwaura urged the media to not “rush to make conclusions about the numbers” of dead as DNA testing would take days.

On Saturday, criminal investigators and government pathologists sealed off the site for analysis.

President William Ruto has declared a three-day national mourning period to start on Monday.

There have been a number of incidents of fires at Kenyan boarding schools in recent years, prompting national concerns about safety standards.

In 2022, a dormitory in western Kenya burnt down, with several students later arrested on suspicion of arson.

In 2017, 10 students died in an arson attack at Moi Girls High School in the capital Nairobi.

At least 67 students died in Machakos County, south-east of Nairobi, in the deadliest Kenyan school arson that took place more than 20 years ago.

A report released four years ago warned that many secondary schools in Kenya were not well prepared to respond to fires and didn’t adhere to government safety standards.

The report by the country’s auditor general revealed that many schools lacked proper equipment to handle fire outbreaks and were not constructed in accordance with required safety standards.