Police probe fire incident at Machakos Girls High School

MACHAKOS, Kenya, Sep, 26 – Detectives based in Machakos are probing an incident where a fire broke out at the Machakos Girls High School compound Saturday night sparking off mass panic.

According to preliminary reports, the incident occurred at around 7pm while students were in their classroom for the evening preps.

It took efforts from members of the public living near the institution to put out the fire initially before the county fire brigade responded to emergency calls alongside the area police and even officers from the Kenya Power.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established amidst a probe by area detectives.

“No one was injured during the incident as firefighters were able to put out the fire by 8pm,” said Machakos OCS Opacha Apang’ai.

The incident comes just days after a fire incident occurred Monday, 20, September at Ofafa Jericho High School in Makadara, Nairobi county.

According to preliminary reports, at around 7 pm, the school principal Julius Linge was mobilizing learners to attend the evening classes when a section of students allegedly became violent and defied orders to leave their dormitory.

“This prompted the teacher on duty to force them out. But one student snuck back to the dormitory namely Ndovu house, and torched one cube which houses 20 students,” read an incident report recorded at the Jogoo Police Station.

Property of unknown value belonging to the students was destroyed. The teaching staff and students attempted to put out the fire in fear that it would spread to other dormitories.

Though no injury was reported, 32 students were initially rushed to metropolitan hospital where they were being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after they complained of breathing difficulties.

According to Authorities, 2 students have since been transferred  to Avenue hospital, 2  to Meridian hospital, 3 have been taken to Jericho H/c and later referred to the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.

One student sustained a fracture of the left tibia, fibula and is in a stable condition.