Buruburu Girls School Principal Speaks After Fire Incident

A dormitory in Buruburu Girls in Makadara Constituency, Nairobi County on fire on Sunday, October 31.
A dormitory in Buruburu Girls in Makadara Constituency, Nairobi County on fire on Sunday, October 31.
The Standard

New details have emerged about the fire that broke out at the Buruburu Girls' High School, Nairobi on Sunday, October 31.

Speaking to a local media station, the school's principal, Caroline Maina, revealed what could be the possible cause of the fire. Maina stated that she had a meeting with students in Form One and Two that afternoon.

Maina had invited guests to offer counselling to the students in a session organised by the school.

A file Image of Buruburu Girls' High School.
A file Image of Buruburu Girls' High School Administration Block
Kenya news

“I had a baraza with form one and form two from morning until around 2:30 pm where I had even invited counsellors to talk to the students," she revealed.

After the counselling session, she and her guests went for lunch within the school compound. As she was walking back, she met a colleague who seemed anxious.

"A teacher approached me notifying me that one of the dormitories was on fire,” she revealed.

"A number of ambulances arrived at the school to ferry students to hospital. So far, 59 students have been confirmed injured and are receiving treatment in the Metropolitan and Jamaa hospitals in Nairobi."

The school principal advised concerned parents not to take their children away from school, assuring them that they were able to contain the situation.

"I’m appealing to parents to allow the school to handle the situation because of security reasons outside the school. Be sure we are in control of the situation. We have enough security in the school and we want to handle the situation," she stated.

At about 6 pm on Sunday, videos circulating on social media showed students jumping from one of the dormitories. This raised concern among the public.

However, in a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, showed what was happening within the school compound. In the video, teachers and students had set up mattresses at the base of the building meant to cushion the fall of some students.

Students were encouraged to jump onto the pile of mattresses to escape from the dormitory which had been engulfed in smoke.

Below is the video:

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