More heartbreaking details continue to emerge on the Hillside Academy fire that killed 17 pupils. According to Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang, Hillside Academy had an enrolment of 824 pupils.
Out of these, 402 were boys while 422 were girls. The school had a total number of 316, out of which 156 were boys and 160 were girls. The 156 boys were all sleeping in the ill-fated dormitory when the fire broke out.
The dormitory at the Hillside Endarasha Academy school was semi-permanent. It had been built with concrete foundation and a few stones, while the rest of the walling was built with wood. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
“We are trying to account for every child. We are asking parents who may have picked their children and members of the community who may have assisted last night in the hillside academy that was burnt, to help account for them,” said Mr. Kipsang.
“The aim is to ensure that all students are accounted for and to aid in the ongoing response to the tragedy.”
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Following the Hillside Academy fire incident, the Kenya Red Cross established a tracing desk at the school to help in all the pupils.
