Fire In Kenya Kills 25 Schoolgirls; Doors Locked For Protection

A fire raced through a school dormitory near the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa early Thursday, killing at least 25 schoolgirls and injuring 29 others as they struggled to unlock doors.

An electrical short was believed to have caused the fire at the Bombululu Secondary School where 144 girls had been sleeping.

“We’ll know when we interview the students. Most of the girls are in a state of shock and unable to talk,” said Albert Waweru, Mombasa deputy police chief.

Most of the victims died of burns; others died when the wooden roof collapsed or were crushed in the stampede to escape.

“I was woken up by screams from the students, who shouted that there was fire,” said school matron Margaret Mwaka, who led some of the girls to safety through a back door.

The dormitory doors always were locked from the inside at night to protect the girls from intruders, Mwaka told The Nation newspaper.

Six students were hospitalized in critical condition, and 23 others had minor injuries.

The school is near Mazeras, 10 miles northwest of Mombasa.