Hillside Endarasha Academy fire: DNA tests confirm identities of 21 victims

Twenty-one bodies of the pupils who died in the tragic Hillside Endarasha Academy fire have been positively identified through a DNA matching profile conducted by the government chemist.

Speaking at the Naromoru funeral home in Nyeri on Wednesday, Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor announced the formation of a multi-agency team that will contact the parents of the deceased pupils to arrange for them to view the remains.

"All the 21 students have now been identified through DNA. We are in the process of contacting the relatives; we have a team comprised of DCI, Red Cross and Counsellors so that we can have them come and reunite with their loved ones as we assist them in the next process of burying the bodies," Oduor told reporters.

Nyeri Acting Regional Commissioner Pius Murugu has indicated that there will be a joint memorial service held at Mweiga Stadium in Nyeri before the bodies are handed over to their respective families for burial.

"By next week, we shall be able to conclude the burial arrangements for everybody so that, after one week, we shall be able to see how the school will be reopened afresh, of course in consultation with the parents and stakeholders involved in the opening," Murugu said on Tuesday.

Despite the fire incident, Hillside Endarasha Academy is set to be reopened as soon as the management conforms to the Ministry of Education guidelines on school infrastructure.

The committee that was formed after the fire tragedy at the school has recommended, among other things, a reduction in the number of boarders in order to allow decongestion.

It also wants all timber structures done away with, and all boarding requirements met before the school reopens.

According to the Ministry of Education, the beds in the dormitories should have at least 1.2 meters between them, while the corridor should not be less than 2 meters wide.

The doorways of the dormitories should be at least 5 feet wide and should open outwards. Each dormitory should have two doors at each end, and an additional one in the middle, clearly labeled emergency exit.

The ministry standards also dictate that each dorm must be fitted with a fire extinguisher placed at the exit, alongside fire alarms.

Besides outlining regulations, spot checks must be undertaken by teachers and the administration before learners retire to bed. The doors must be closed from inside, among other requirements.