Death toll from Kenya school blaze rises to 21

The death toll from a devastating blaze at a primary school dormitory in a semi-rural area of central Kenya has risen to 21, the government said on Saturday.

Prosecutors said they had instructed police to look into whether the tragedy had been caused by negligence or recklessness, and vowed that those found culpable would face justice.

The flames engulfed a dormitory at the primary school in the county of Nyeri around midnight on Thursday as more than 150 boys aged between nine and 13 were sleeping.

Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said a total of 19 bodies had been recovered at the site and another two died in hospital. Out of the total 156 boys in the dorm at the time, 139 had now been accounted for, either at home or in hospital, he said.