Murkomen, Ogamba at Utumishi Academy over fire tragedy as over 10 confirmed dead

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his education counterpart Julius Ogamba are holding a closed-door meeting at Utumishi Girls Academy following a devastating dormitory fire that left over  10 students dead.

The two senior government officials arrived at the school shortly after 9 a.m., with media personnel denied access to the meeting as security was tightened around the scene.

The tragic fire broke out at around 1 a.m. while students were asleep, rapidly engulfing one of the dormitories and triggering panic within the school compound.

Emergency responders, firefighters, and rescue teams rushed to the scene and managed to contain the blaze after several hours.

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Tragic as inferno at Utumishi Girls School leaves 16 students dead

Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the deaths on Thursday morning, adding that rescue and search operations were still ongoing as authorities worked to account for all students affected by the incident.

Police sources indicated that the death toll could rise, with fears that more than 16 students may have perished in the inferno.

However, officials said the exact number of casualties would only be confirmed after all rescue operations and identification processes are completed.

Several students sustained injuries during the incident and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Authorities have since launched investigations to determine the cause of the fire, as grief and shock engulfed the school community and the nation at large.

By Obegi Malack