At least 17 students were killed while 13 more suffered serious burn injuries after a fire in a boarding school dormitory in central Kenya, police say.

The death toll could rise, police warned on Friday, following the disaster at Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri county, as the survivors are being treated in hospitals.

The identities and ages of the victims were not immediately available, but most were described as children.

The primary school caters to some 800 pupils, aged between five and 12.

The cause of the fire on Thursday night was being investigated, police spokeswoman Resila Onyango said, adding that “necessary action” would be taken.

“The bodies recovered at the scene were burnt beyond recognition,” Onyango told the AFP news agency.

In a broadcast on Kenya’s Hot 96 FM radio, Onyango said a government team is on the ground to assess the extent of the damage.

President William Ruto called the news “devastating” and said action would be taken against those responsible.

“I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, urged school administrators to ensure that safety guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Education for boarding schools are being followed.

The Kenya Red Cross, which described the fire as a “tragic incident”, said at least 11 injured children were taken to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.

In a statement on X, it said the scene was cordoned off by police.

“The Kenya Red Cross is providing psychosocial support services to the pupils, teachers and affected families and has set up a tracing desk at the school.”

The school is located about 170km (106 miles) north of the capital, Nairobi.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, where many students stay because parents believe it gives them more time to study and precludes long commutes.

In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls’ high school in the Kibera neighbourhood of Nairobi.

A year later, 10 high school students died in a school fire in Nairobi.

In 2001, 58 pupils were killed in a dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi.