Hillside Endarasha academy in Nyeri County where 17 learners are confirmed to have died in a fire incident had 824 pupils.
According to Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murugu, the individual dorm that caught fire had 152 pupils.
Murugu said the dormitory caught fire at about 3.00 am and that the wooden structures saw the fire spread fast despite the quick response of disaster management teams from the county government.
"Most of the structures in this school are wooden which worsened the fire," he said.
The county commissioner who is leading a multi-agency team that arrived at the school said the dead learners could not be saved.
Further, DCI director of homicide Martin Nyuguto is leading a team of investigators to determine the cause of the fire.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Education Principal Secretary are also expected to arrive at the school.
Murugu said the Kenya Red Cross Society has started conducting contract tracing as panicked parents continue streaming into Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri to establish the status of the children.
Parents are braving the chilly weather in the school that is about 12 kilometres away from the Nyeri Nyahururu highway to establish the status of their children while others have already been reconnected with theirs.
A sombre mood has engulfed the institution as parents who have been informed that their children are among the dead wail in grief while others wait in apprehension.
About 14 pupils have been rushed to health facilities with one being referred to Kenyatta National Hospital, Othaya Annex for specialized treatment.
