On Monday, anguished parents assembled at a hospital in central Kenya to undergo DNA tests aimed at identifying the victims of a devastating school dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 21 boys. In response to the public outcry over persistent safety breaches and recurring fires in the country's schools, Kenya's government announced three days of national mourning. The tragedy unfolded on Thursday night when flames consumed the dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding school located in central Nyeri county, while the boys were asleep. Nineteen bodies were discovered among the charred remains of the building, with two additional fatalities occurring in the hospital. However, 17 students remained unaccounted for, according to government spokesman Isaac Mwaura, who spoke on Saturday. The victims, aged between nine and thirteen, were so severely burnt that they were beyond recognition, according to police reports. Local media on Monday featured images of parents gathered outside Naromoru hospital, a facility situated an hour's drive from the school. "The forensic process of identifying the bodies will commence on Monday, as it is the only method by which they can be identified," stated Nyeri County Commissioner Pius Murigu in an interview with AFP on Sunday. President William Ruto has characterized the incident as an "unfathomable tragedy." Flags across Kenyan public buildings, military bases, and embassies will be flown at half-mast from Monday through Wednesday. Ruto has mandated a comprehensive investigation into the matter. "This incident underscores the need for accountability in all schools nationwide and the imperative to take every possible measure to protect the lives of our school-going children," he declared on Friday. The Kenya Red Cross has been providing psychological support to traumatized children and their families, establishing white tents in fields near the school gates. Thursday's fire has once again brought to light the issue of safety in Kenyan schools, following numerous similar incidents over the years, many of which have resulted in fatalities. A series of school fires occurred in 2016, with authorities reporting 117 arson incidents at educational institutions within a three-month span. On Saturday night, another fire erupted at Isiolo Girls High School in central Kenya, with social media images depicting several buildings engulfed in flames. Isiolo County communications director Hussein Salesa informed AFP of multiple injuries, although police later stated there were none. Then, on Sunday, a fire destroyed a dormitory at Njia Boys High School in the central county of Meru as students were dining, according to a police statement. No casualties were reported in that incident. Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga has directed police to investigate whether negligence or recklessness played a role in the Endarasha fire, noting that it "evokes distressing memories of other similar school fire incidents." The cause of the fire remains uncertain, though local media reports suggest that police are exploring the possibility of an electrical fault in a light bulb as the origin. Kenya's National Gender and Equality Commission revealed that initial reports indicated the Endarasha dormitory was "overcrowded, in violation of safety standards." "This incident raises significant concerns about children's rights to safety in educational institutions," the NGO Vocal Africa stated in a message on X.