One hundred and eighty-six students at St. Anne’s Girls High School Kiriari in Embu are counting losses after a fire razed their dormitory on Monday evening.

The fire is reported to have started at around 6.30 pm as students were in the dining hall taking supper.

Embu North Deputy County Commissioner William Owino said it took the combined effort of the school staff and locals to put out the fire before it spread to adjacent buildings.

Further, Owino said the cause of the fire was yet to be established, noting that investigations had been launched.

“We are yet to determine whether it was an electrical fault that caused the outbreak or a case of arson,” he said.

He said they had called Kenya Power Company to ascertain if an electrical fault was to blame for the fire.