NYERI: At least 17 pupils were killed and 13 others seriously injured after a fire broke out at a school in central Kenya, police said on Friday.

National Police Service spokesperson Resila Onyango said that 14 pupils were sent to the hospital with serious burns after their dormitories caught fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary Academy in Nyeri County late on Thursday. One died after being hospitalised.

"We are investigating the cause of the fire and taking necessary action," Onyango told Xinhua news agency via phone. "So far we have 17 pupils dead."

Kenyan President William Ruto called the news “devastating” and said action would be taken against those responsible for this.

"I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account," he said in a post on X.

Witnesses said that one of the dormitories housing the students was destroyed, sparking fears that the death toll from the horrific fire could rise.

Rescue teams are on the scene working to manage the situation, said local police.

Kenya has a lot of boarding schools where fires are common. Parents send their wars to these schools because they believe it gives them more time to study and precludes long commutes.

In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls’ high school in the Kibera neighbourhood of Nairobi.