16 pupils killed, 79 injured in fire at Kenyan girls’ boarding school

Education Minister Julius Ogamba said 79 others were injured at the Utumishi Girls School, which has more than 800 pupils in the Gilgil area of central Kenya.

Ogamba said authorities would investigate whether the school’s fire safety manual had been adhered to.

Police said they were leading the rescue and emergency response efforts at the school, which is located about 120km (75 miles) from the capital, Nairobi.

The government-owned secondary school is managed and sponsored by the Kenya Police Service. Many of the pupils are daughters of police officers.

The victims have not yet been identified, a source of anger and frustration for some of the parents who gathered at the scene. Dozens were still waiting to confirm their children were not among the victims of the fire.