At least 17 students died after a fire swept through their school dormitory in central Kenya, police said Friday.

“There are 17 dead as a result of this incident and there are others who have been hospitalized with serious injuries,” police spokeswoman Priscilla Onyango said.

Kenyan President William Ruto said he had asked authorities to investigate and bring those responsible to justice, Reuters reported.
There have been a number of school fires in Kenya in recent years, many of which have turned out to be deliberate.