Dozens of students have lost their belongings after a massive fire destroyed a dormitory at Olbutyo Boys High School in Chepalungu Sub-County.
​No casualties were reported in the Sunday evening incident, though it left behind extensive property damage.
​Locals reported seeing thick billows of smoke rising from the school alongside distress calls from students. Upon investigating, they found the blazing facility, which accommodates more than 100 students.
​”At first, we thought the smoke was from waste being burnt. Soon after, we heard alarms and calls for help from the students, and that is when we realized what was happening,” said one of the responding residents.
He added that students attempted to salvage their belongings, but the fire spread too quickly. Many will now be forced to brave the cold, as the affected building was a primary dormitory housing a large portion of the school’s population.
​Response Efforts Hampered by Water Shortages
​Local residents joined forces with school authorities and police officers to extinguish the blaze. However, their efforts were largely unsuccessful due to a lack of water on-site.
​A fire engine from the county disaster management unit arrived after the fire had already died down. Stanley Mutai, representing the disaster team, noted that they received the alert late but made every effort to reach the scene as quickly as possible.
By the time the flames were fully brought under control, the dormitory had been reduced to a charred frame. Metal bunk beds were warped by the intense heat, and students lost all personal belongings, textbooks, and bedding.
​School administrators and emergency personnel remain on-site conducting a comprehensive damage assessment and organizing temporary shelter for the affected students.
​The cause of the fire remains unknown, and local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
