Nairobi, Sep 6 (AP) A fire in a school dormitory in Kenya killed 17 students and seriously burned 13 others, police said Friday.

There are fears that the death toll may rise, police said.

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The cause of the fire Thursday night at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county was being investigated, police spokesperson Resila Onyango said.

“We are investigating the cause and will take necessary action,” she said.

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

Some fires have been started by students during unrest. In 2017, 10 high school students died in a school fire in the capital, Nairobi. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)