Student narrates horror during deadly inferno

A student from Utumishi Girls Academy, Gilgil, Nakuru County, narrated the horror of a night inferno at the school's dormitory.

She said since Wednesday was a holiday, the learners went to the dormitory earlier and usually observed the weekend timetable. "We went to sleep at 9 pm after refreshing ourselves. However, at around midnight, someone shouted for everyone to leave their cubes because the dormitory was on fire," she said.

Confused, the hundreds of students did not know what to do. While some scampered for safety, others screamed for help and others suffocated. By the time she left her bed, the fire had covered their cube.

"By the time I was leaving the bed, the fire had covered the hallway of Cube 6 and Cube 7, and we could not get to the door," she said.

Forced to return to the safer side of the cube, the student said some started suffocating as smoke choked them.

She said amid the confusion and trauma, they were forced to open the window and jump. "Our cubes were on the first floor, but we had no option but to jump. When I hit the ground, I could not feel my hands and legs," she said.

She said she felt her leg and hand break, then lost consciousness. The student only regained consciousness at St Joseph Hospital in Gilgil, where she was undergoing treatment. "I saw doctors at the hospital who did first aid for me. They said I had fractures in my hand and injured my head," she said.

The student added, "I have never experienced such before in my life."

She said she had lost some of her friends while others suffocated in front of her eyes, adding that she was lucky to be alive. The student was among the 69 who were taken to the hospital with multiple injuries, including burns, lacerations and fractures.

Dr Collins Malalu, Resident Medical Officer, said they were woken up by sirens and hooting from a fleet of vehicles at around 3 am. He said that of the 69 students they received, 61 were treated as outpatients and discharged.

He said that eight were admitted, but one was discharged upon request of the parents. "The eight were seriously injured. Seven had fractures while one had inhalation trauma," he said.

Dr Boniface Mutiso said they also offered support and counselling for the students who were traumatised.

While receiving her daughter, one parent said his daughter was so worried about her friend who had died.
"She is so worried about her friend, rather than herself. I am in pain because I cannot tell her at the moment what happened," he said.