A fire in a primary school dormitory in Kenya has killed 17 students and seriously burned 16 others, a police spokesperson said on Friday.
The blaze in Nyeri County's Hillside Endarasha Academy broke out at around midnight local time, police said, engulfing rooms where the students were sleeping.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said 70 students were still missing.
"We still have 70 kids that are unaccounted [for]— that does not mean they are perished or they are injured. The word is that they are unaccounted for," Mr Gachagua told reporters on Friday.
The primary school caters to some 800 pupils, aged between roughly five and 12.
Police said the average age of the victims was around nine years old.
Cause still under investigation
The cause of the fire was being investigated, national police spokesperson Resila Onyango said.
"There are 17 fatalities from this incident and there are also others who were taken to hospital with serious injuries," she said.
"The bodies recovered at the scene were burnt beyond recognition."
Part of a dormitory is seen following a fire at the Hillside Endarasha Primary. (AP)
"We are investigating the cause and will take necessary action," the spokeswoman said.
"Our team is at the scene at the moment.
"More bodies are likely to be recovered once [the] scene is fully processed."
Schools urged to check safety guidelines
Kenyan President William Ruto called the news "devastating" and said action would be taken against those responsible.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy," he wrote on X.
"I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account."
Some students were taken to hospital with serious injuries. (AP)
Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, also paid tribute to the students killed in the blaze.
"Heartbreaking news from Kenya as a school fire has caused devastation. Our thoughts are with all affected," he said.
Mr Gachagua urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the education ministry for boarding schools were being followed.
The Kenya Red Cross added on X that it was "providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families".
Previous school fires started by students
There have been a series of boarding school fires in Kenya in recent years, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study without long commutes.
Kenya Red Cross is supporting families of the students. (AP)
Some fires have been started by students during protests over the workload or living conditions.
In 2017, 10 high school students died in a school fire in the capital, Nairobi.
In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls' high school in Nairobi's Kibera neighbourhood.
In 2012, eight students were killed at a school in Homa Bay County in western Kenya.
In 2001, 58 schoolboys were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi.
Two pupils were charged with the murder, and the headmaster and deputy of the school were convicted of negligence.
AP/Reuters/AFP