A mother of a pupil who survived the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire has hinted at a possible cause of the tragic incident that resulted in 21 fatalities and over 27 injuries.
In an interview with Citizen TV, she shared that her son reported that the fire began after a light bulb exploded about an hour after the students entered the dormitory.
“He told us that a light bulb exploded and fell on the mattress of one of the students and caused a fire. The bulb fell onto the upper deck bed, igniting the mattress,” she said
My son got out of his bed to search for water to extinguish the fire, but he didn’t find any. Upon returning, he found that the fire was still burning.”
He then alerted three of his classmates, but their attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful.”
Mother Narrates Son’s Tale
She added that her son with the three others went to call the matron, but by the time she arrived, the fire had already started to spread.
It was at this time that her son managed to escape with his friends through Door 3, where the Grade 8 students sleep.
Further reports indicate that the fire started near the main door. It is also reported that the bulb that exploded is usually lit throughout the night, and some beds and parts of the dormitory are made of timber.
Also Read: Hillside Endarasha: Isaac Mwaura at Pains to State Exact Number of Missing Students
IG Ordered to Investigate Hillside Endarasha Fire
This new twist comes after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga ordered the acting Inspector General (IG) of Police Gilbert Masengeli to investigate the cause of the fire.
In a statement released on Saturday September 7, DPP Ingonga said the IG is expected to assess whether or not the tragedy may have resulted from negligence and/or recklessness of any responsibility holders.
Furthermore, Masengeli is expected to submit the inquiry file to the DPP, to enable the initiation of charges against any individuals found responsible for the tragedy.
Number of Pupils Missing
Government Spokesperson Dr. Isaac Mwaura, during a visit to the scene of the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire, reported that the number of pupils not accounted for currently stands at 48.
He revealed that 108 students have been accounted for while 15 parents have reported that they cannot trace their children.
At the same time, parents are anxiously asking where their children are, desperate for information and reassurance following the devastating fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy.
Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu stated that a postmortem will be conducted on Monday September 9 to reveal identities of the pupils that burnt beyond recognition.
Also Read: Hillside Endarasha School: Pope Francis Shares Message for Kenya After Tragic Fire
Earlier on Friday, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang in a statement revealed details of the Endarasha Hillside School.
The PS mentioned that the school has a total enrolment of 824 comprising 402 boys and 422 girls.
156 boys and 160 girls are boarders while the rest are day scholars. All the 156 boys’ boarders were accommodated in the ill-fated dormitory.
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