At least 103 students at Kaplong Girls’ High school in Bomet County are nursing injuries following a fire outbreak at the school that gutted down 15 semi-permanent houses.
Another 37 students and one teacher are still admitted at the nearby St Clare’s Kaplong hospital.
Some 71 students were admitted to the facility on Saturday night after they fainted during the rescue mission.
The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electric fault in one of the timber structures, which served as the teachers’ quarters.
According to Sotik sub-county police commander Francis Ng’ang’a, nothing was salvaged from the buildings.
Dr Stanley Kiplangat, the Medical Superintendent at the hospital said the learners who are admitted are responding well to treatment.
“We are treating 37 learners who are receiving treatment and others are under observation. The majority had pre-existing conditions and the smoke aggravated the situation,” Dr Kiplangat said.
Complained of chest pains
The majority complained of chest pains, headache and difficulty in breathing with some being treated for shock.
A firefighting engine from the Bomet County government was unable to access the site of the fire as the entry was narrow due to poor planning.
As a result, the firefighters accessed the site from a fence of the adjacent St Clare’s Kaplong hospital.
Boards of management of learning institutions are required by the Ministry of Education to put proper safety measures in schools to curb accidents, and fire outbreaks and make it easy for rescue efforts to be coordinated in the event of a disaster outbreak.
Hundreds of parents were denied entry to the institution to check on the state of their children with a list of the learners who were in hospital posted at the gate of the institution.
“It is unfortunate that with this kind of crisis, we have not been allowed to access the compound and come in contact with our children to confirm the state of their health,” Ms Irene Bii, a guardian said.
Mr Elijah Koskei said it was wrong for the institution to post the names of the students in the hospital at the institution’s gate as it put the parents and guardians in a panic mode.
Panicking parents watched helplessly as several learners were rushed to the hospital after they fainted. BY DAILY NATION