At least 14 children were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a primary school in Kenya when they were let out to go home.
The pupils, mostly aged between 10 and 12, are said to have been crushed as they ran down a narrow staircase at Kakamega Primary School after lessons.
One mother claims the children were running away from teachers who were beating them while other reports suggested the staircase had collapsed.
Some of the children were said to have fallen from the third floor of the building during the crush at around 5pm on Monday.
Distressing scenes showed parents collapsing in grief after identifying their children’s bodies in a local hospital.
Education minister George Magoha confirmed that 14 children had lost their lives.
At least 39 other children were injured, including two who were in intensive care.
He said: ‘The loss of a child is very painful. My condolences to parents who have lost their children.’
Peter Abwao, a spokesman for Red Cross Kenya, said: ‘As kids were going home from school there was a stampede as they were going down the stairs.
‘It’s a three-storey building, it’s a classroom block.’
In the aftermath of the stampede, the police cordoned off the school and took statements from the teaching staff.
Kakamega’s police chief David Kabena said: ‘We have launched an investigation to establish what exactly happened.’
One of the children’s mothers blamed the teachers.
‘Those who survived said they were running because there were teachers who were beating them, and that is why they were escaping and fell on each other,’ the mother said in an interview with local media.
Corporal punishment is banned in Kenya.
Kakamega area regional commissioner Anne Ngetich ruled out that a ‘scare’ had sparked the stampede.
‘I know there are people who might think these children always use the same entrance and exits, what might have happened today? Was there an explosion?’ she said. ‘No there was nothing, nothing physical that we have established.’
Kenya’s Vice President William Ruto said on Twitter: ‘We are devastated by the tragedy that has hit Kakamega Primary School this evening.
‘Our prayers, love and thoughts to the families and relatives of the victims of the misfortune.’
Former prime minister Raila Odinga tweeted: ‘My heartfelt condolences to parents who have lost loved ones in the unfortunate and regrettable tragedy at Kakamega Primary School.
‘I wish a quick recovery to the injured children and pray that God grant strength to the affected families.’
Kenya Red Cross said it was setting up psychological support services, as well as a ‘tracing desk’ to help relatives locate potentially affected students.
Safety in school has become a major concern for Kenyan parents.
In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls’ high school in the Kibera neighbourhood of Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
In September last year eight pupils died and 69 were injured when a classroom collapsed at a primary school in Nairobi.
Several days later, Kenya’s education ministry closed St Catherine’s Children Education Centre Bombolulu, near Nairobi, due to safety concerns.
‘This is just a start and we are going to crack down on all schools in the country with poor structures,’ Mr Magoha said at the time.
