Kenyan police officers and forensic experts stand at the entrance of a building at Utumishi Girls Academy where a deadly fire took place in Gilgil, north of the capital Nairobi.

At least 16 students were killed and 73 injured at a girls’ boarding school in central Kenya early on Thursday, police officials said.

The Kenyan Red Cross said the blaze broke out around 01:00 at the Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior ‌School in the Gilgil area, but was only reported more than two hours later.

“First responders, ambulance crew and our support personnel are currently on the ground,” a spokesperson for the Red Cross told French news agency AFP.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Frantic parents gather outside school

Authorities have confirmed that the fire has been contained.

“It is a distressing and saddening situation,” county police official Masoud Mwinyi said, addressing distraught parents outside the school, according to media reports.

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Mwinyi told ⁠reporters that around 50 officers were searching the areas around the school for students who may have fled when the blaze broke out.

History of school fires

School fires are relatively common in Kenya, where electrical faults and arson have contributed to past tragedies.

Experts say many of the fires were started by students protesting harsh discipline and poor conditions.

This article was originally published on dw.com.