What seemed like an unfortunate accident that claimed the lives of 21 students at Hillside Endarasha Academy is now under scrutiny as stakeholders now point out red flags that fueled the fire.
Some of these red flags, long ignored, are causing concern among parents and Kenyans at large on the safety of students in boarding schools and showing the effects of systemic failure.
But how did the warning signs slip through the cracks?
According to Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi who was speaking to Citizen TV, some of these red flags that may have been earlier avoided.
Her sentiments come after the Auditor General also highlighted the disaster unpreparedness in different boarding schools across the country.
Also Read: Hillside Endarasha: How a 12-Year-Old Boy Saved His Two Friends from Deadly Fire
Elachi Highlights Red Flags in the Dormitory at Hillside Endarasha
According to Elachi, the big problem at the institution was the architectural structure of the dormitory.
She noted with concern that there was one main door to all the dorms, and the matron’s room located at the end. It was unclear whether the matron had a separate exit door.
However, a narrative from one of the survivors detailed that some students rushed to call the matron when the fire started, but by the time she arrived, the fire had already began spreading.
“When I look at the architect of the whole dorm, they have one main door where you come in and go to all other dorms. The matron is right at the end. Does she have to come through the main door, or does she have a door she can use to exit the building from outside?
“If the student ran through the hallway to the matron and came back to exit the building, then they should have saved very many others with another exit.”
Additionally, she questioned why the dormitory had wire meshed windows, explaining that the windows could have been used as a fire escape.
“But so many questions come in. Did the grade 8 students have another door to exit or did they have to squeeze through the main door. You cannot use grills or steel at a window, because it should be easy for students to use the widow to escape,” said the MP.
Also Read: Hillside Endarasha: Mother Who Spoke to Her Son Hints at What Caused Deadly Fire
Auditor General Report
On the other hand, a report on Schools Safety Audit by the auditor general has revealed that boarding schools across the country are death traps.
According to the report written after a survey of 42 sampled schools, most institutions are not compliant, and doorways in dorms are less than the recommended sizes
“There is inadequate infrastructure, limited training on fire safety preparedness, insufficient guidance and counselling in schools,” read the report in part.
In addition, the auditor general noted that majority of schools do not have the equipment to handle a fire incident and did not have mandatory evacuation maps at every entry.
“Schools require to have sufficient fire extinguishers, fire alarms and fire blankets. All 42 sampled schools did not have evacuation Maps. Majority of sampled schools allocated least fire extinguishers to halls and there was no fire assembly points in some schools,” added the report.
Further, the auditor general explained that classrooms and dormitories must have their doors opening outwards, yet 22 schools had their doorways opening inwards in contravention with safety. “In the event of fire students are likely to lock themselves inside during struggle.”
DNA test to identify the students who perished in the fire is set to begin on Monday, September 9.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
