At least 17 students have been killed while sleeping and 14 injured following a fire in an elementary school dormitory in central Kenya last night. Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the boys were in grades 4 to 8, putting their ages at about 9 to 13 years.

Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service said their bodies had been “burnt beyond recognition.”The cause of fire is unknown at this time but we will update the public when we know more,” Onyango told CNN.

The death toll could rise, police warned following the disaster at Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri county, as the survivors are being treated in numerous hospitals.Rescue teams are on the scene working to manage the situation, said local police.

Kenyan President William Ruto offered his condolences describing the incident as “devastating” and said action would be taken against those responsible for this.”I instruct relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate this horrific incident. Those responsible will be held to account,” he said on a social media platform.

School fires are relatively common in Kenyan boarding schools. In 2016, nine students were killed by a fire at a girls’ high school in the Kibera neighbourhood of Nairobi.