Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua announced that 37 pupils from Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri have been reunited with their parents following the Thursday night fire that claimed at least 17 lives. Speaking during his visit to the school on Friday afternoon, Gachagua added that 27 other pupils are currently hospitalized, with one of the deceased succumbing to injuries in the hospital.
The tragic incident occurred in a 156-bed dormitory that housed boys at the mixed boarding private primary school. While the exact number of pupils present at the time of the tragedy has not been disclosed, Gachagua confirmed that the whereabouts of 86 pupils have been established.
The Deputy President urged the public to refrain from speculating about the number of deaths, the status of missing pupils, and the cause of the fire, noting that it is too early to conclude that those still unaccounted for perished in the blaze.
“The word is unaccounted for. This does not mean they perished during the night incident. We are praying and hoping for the best,” he said.
Gachagua called for patience and cautioned against sharing unverified information about the incident.
This as he urged neighbours who may have given refuge to pupils who managed to escape to volunteer such information through the number 1199 provided by Red Cross.
