A pupil from Hillside Endarasha Academy has opened up to his parents how the deadly fire started and the cause as kenyans and the government try to solve the puzzle of the deadly inferno.
According to the parent of one survivor who spoke to NewsProjector in hospital, the fire was started as a result of an electricity fault which started as sparks before engulfing the whole 150 capacity dormitory.
Report from the pupil indicate that the fire started at the main entrance of the dormitory where pupils from Grades 5 to 8 are accommodated before spreading to the rest of the structure.
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The Hillside Endarasha pupil revealed that the cause of the fire was sparks from a bulb near the main door of the dormitory. The survivor claims that he immediately rushed to call the matron and that’s how he survived the tragedy.
“Alituambia kulikuwa na kijana alikuwa analala karibu na mlango na bulb yake ililipuka na kutupa moto kwa mattress, alikimbia kuita matron na hapo ndio moto ilishika.”
Immediately the matron and a security arrived at the scene, they alerted teachers who live within the school compound and immediately started helping evacuate the pupils as the fire consumed the dormitory.
Near the main entrance, there are 24 double-decker beds, six on the left side and six on the right side. Forty-eight pupils were sleeping in the area when the fire broke out. The grade 5 pupil whose bed was first to catch fire survived too.
The dormitory has three doors: the main door, another door near the main entrance, and the door behind the section where Grade 8 learners sleep. Grade 8 pupils are at the furthest end of the dorm, and to access it, one goes through a small opening from the area where there are 24 double-decker beds.
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Reports indicate that the lights are always on throughout the night but what might have led to the fast spread of fire is the beds, some made of wood, were closer to each other and cardboards separating sections of pupils were also factors.