Sixteen pupils killed in Kenya girls' school fire, local police say

Sixteen students have been killed in a fire at a boarding school in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) west of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, a policeman told journalists at the scene.

Seventy-four other students are being treated in hospital after being injured, he added.

The fire at the Utumishi Girls school started in the early hours of Thursday morning when the students were asleep, according to the Kenya Red Cross and police.

Police said search-and-rescue operations were under way with authorities yet to establish the cause of the fire. The Kenya Red Cross said emergency responders were on ground to offer support.

"It is a sad and distressing situation," police commander Masoud Mwinyi said, speaking to parents and crowds outside the school.

Fires are not uncommon in Kenyan boarding schools, with several deadly incidents reported in recent years. Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.

According to the police, the fire broke out around 01:00 local time (22:00 GMT Wednesday) and engulfed a dormitory block housing about 220 students.