One young survivor of the Hillside Endarasha Academy has provided a chilling account of how the fire that claimed the lives of 21 students unfolded.
The dormitory, which housed Grade 5 to Grade 8 pupils, was a place of refuge and rest until it turned into a deadly inferno.
According to the mother of one of the survivors who spoke to Citizen TV, her son described being jolted awake when another pupil sleeping on the top bunk of a double-decker bed near the entrance saw sparks fly from the light bulb above him.
"He explained that one of the children was startled awake when the bulb exploded, sending sparks onto his mattress, which then caught fire," she recounted.
The student immediately jumped down in a frantic search for water to put out the flames but found none within reach.
As precious seconds passed, the fire spread rapidly across the bed.
Realising the gravity of the situation, the student rushed back to the dormitory to alert his fellow pupils.
Despite their best efforts to wake everyone and attempt to extinguish the flames, the fire had already gained too much ground.
"He said they tried to put out the fire, but it was spreading so fast they couldn’t control it. They had no choice but to wake up more children and alert the matron," the mother shared. The pupils’ attempts to contain the fire were futile as panic set in, with the flames engulfing more beds as smoke began to fill the room.
The fire started near the main entrance of the dormitory, in a section where 48 students were sleeping in 24 double-decker beds, 12 beds lined up on the right side and 12 on the left.
Each child had a sleeping space, but the proximity of the wooden beds and cardboard partitions that separated different areas only fueled the rapid spread of the flames.
The dormitory’s structural materials, including wood and cardboard, proved disastrous as the fire escalated, creating a near-impossible situation for those trying to escape.
Reports have indicated that the lights in the dormitory were kept on throughout the night, a factor that may have played a role in how quickly the fire began.
While it remains unclear whether faulty wiring or another electrical issue caused the initial spark, the layout and condition of the dormitory likely contributed to the severity of the blaze.
With the beds closely together, the fire rapidly consumed the flammable materials.
By the time the matron was alerted and arrived on the scene, the fire had already grown too large to be contained.
The students’ only option was to flee the dormitory as the fire spread uncontrollably, but tragically, not all were able to make it out in time.
Those trapped by the thick smoke and fast-moving flames had little chance of survival. The government has confirmed that investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
Speaking to the press, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura stated, "While the cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively identified, the government confirms that it has mobilized all relevant agencies and continues to work diligently to conduct these investigations. Those found responsible will be brought to justice. The government is committed to ensuring accountability for every learner."
Parents have called on the government to speed up investigations as others continue the search for their missing children.
