Tragedy struck Kakamega Primary School in Kenya, as 14 pupils lost their lives and at least 39 sustained serious injuries in a stampede on Monday. The incident occurred at the school located northwest of the capital, Nairobi.
Peris Kimani, the Western Region Police Commander, confirmed the heartbreaking news and stated that 20 of the injured pupils were treated at the county’s general and referral hospital and later discharged.
Reports indicated that the tragic incident occurred as the pupils, mostly aged between 10 and 12, were crushed while rushing down a narrow staircase at the school after classes.
One parent alleged that the children were fleeing from teachers who were reportedly beating them, while others suggested that the staircase had collapsed.
During the chaos, some of the children fell from the third floor of the building, adding to the distressing nature of the event.
Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded as parents collapsed in anguish upon identifying their children’s bodies in a local hospital.
Emergency services, including personnel from the Kenya Red Cross Society and the police, rushed to the school to provide assistance to the affected pupils.
Following the tragic incident, various leaders and security officials, such as Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Lurambi member of Parliament Titus Khamala, and County Commissioner Pauline Dola, visited the hospital to offer their support.
Deputy President William Ruto expressed his devastation over the tragedy on Twitter, conveying prayers, love, and thoughts to the families and relatives of the victims.
Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga also extended his condolences, describing the incident as “unfortunate and regrettable” and wishing a swift recovery to the injured children. He emphasized the need for an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident.
