An autopsy conducted on the 21 bodies of victims from the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire inferno has revealed the cause of their deaths.
Chief Government Pathologist, Dr. Johansen Oduor, on Thursday, September 12, said that the victims had sustained severe burns, with some missing body parts.
He further stated that the team of pathologists had successfully completed post-mortems on all 21 bodies at Narumoru Level 4 Hospital in Nyeri.
“They had different degree of burns and some of them were burnt to the bones…to a level that they had the lower parts of the limbs missing,” Dr Oduor said.
However, the Pathologist mentioned that they were able to obtain DNA samples from inner parts of the bodies for DNA analysis to establish their identity and match them with their parents.
The fire, which occurred on the night of September 5, completely destroyed the boys’ dormitory, leaving behind shattered windows and burnt doors.
Detectives Narrow Down to Three Questions
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives are probing inconsistencies in the dormitory’s construction materials, with Director David Kinyua tasked to explain why there are inconsistencies in the materials used for the boys’ dormitory.
Additionally, the DCI is seeking to answer the question of the whereabouts of the matron on duty that fateful night, as details emerged that she had been involved in an accident and could not make it to work.
Also Read: Govt Orders Immediate Inspection of All Schools After Endarasha Deadly Fire
There’s also the question of whether someone attempted to switch off the lights from the main meter and accidentally caused an electrical malfunction, as the matron responsible for turning off the lights after the learners had settled in bed was absent.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, who was also present during the post-mortem, stated that the government can now account for all the pupils of the affected school.
He stated that the school enrollment at the time of the fire tragedy was 843, out of which 330 were boarders: 164 boys and 166 girls.
According to Kindiki, out of the 164 boys who were in the dormitory that burnt down, 143 are alive, with 140 reunited with their parents while three are still in the hospital.
Kindiki Calls Warns Against Misinformation on Endarasha Fire
The CS urged Kenyans to avoid spreading misinformation about the incident and warned social media users against making false or inciting statements regarding the tragedy.
He noted that he had come across alarming claims online but emphasized that the government has nothing to hide.
Also Read: Owner of Hillside Endarasha Academy Grilled for Hours
Kindiki added that while the government is committed to sharing information about the incident, this will be done in a coordinated manner due to the sensitivity of the situation.
“A matter like this is a national security matter that’s why you are seeing us here. If it was not, the security minister would not be coming here now and then,” Kindiki said.
“We have made it very clear that we have nothing to hide. We will provide information every day, but we have only asked that it is released in a coordinated manner, accurately and as verifiable as it can get.”
Furthermore, the CS appealed to all social media users to treat national security matters with sensitivity, adding that there are things he cannot reveal.
“We can joke about many things, which is good but when it comes to serious things like deaths, you will be heartless to cast aspersions to make it look like it is a matter subject to banter,” he said.
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