At least 16 students were killed when a fire broke out in a girls’ dormitory at Utumishi Girls School in Gilgil, central Kenya.

Authorities said 79 others were injured, and the cause of the overnight blaze has not yet been determined.

Rescue teams, including police officers, searched the school and surrounding areas as some students may have fled in panic.

The incident occurred about 120 km from Nairobi and left the building heavily damaged with smoke-stained walls and broken windows, Al-Jazeera has reported.

Kenya has a history of deadly school fires, including several recent incidents linked in some cases to student unrest and poor conditions.