7 girls killed in Kenya dormitory fire, official says
NAIROBI, Kenya — Seven girls died early Saturday when a fire gutted their dormitory at a high school in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the country’s education minister said.
The cause of the fire was unknown, Fred Matiangi said. Moi Girls High School will be closed for two weeks to allow for investigations.
“At 2 a.m. our matron came telling us to get out of the hostel because there was fire in one of the hostels,” student Warda Sadique told The Associated Press. “So most of the people were panicking, some were jumping through the windows.”
Both Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga quickly expressed their concern over the deaths. Both are returning to campaigning after Friday’s surprise Supreme Court ruling nullifying last month’s election and calling for a new vote within 60 days.