Night of terror: Neighbours describe the fire tragedy at Endarasha Hillside Academy

Neighbours of Endarasha Hillside Academy were among the first responders to Thursday evening's tragic events that left 21 boys dead.

Neighbors described the events that changed the face of the neighborhood and the night of terror that left the community in shock and grief.

It has been over 48 hours since a fire broke out at Endarasha Hillside Academy, killing 21 boys, and the community is still trying to come to terms with these tragic events.

Eric Waweru, a neighbor of the school, remembered the darkness and silence of the night, broken by the screams of desperate boys.

He and others from the neighborhood responded to the emergency call and rushed to the scene, where they found an incomprehensible sight.

“I was woken up by screaming,” he explained. “Kufika huko moto ilikuwa imesambaa sana, tulijaribu kuweka maji ikakataa, tukajaribu vijiti ikakataa.”

Rescue workers said there was not much they could do; the flames were too high, the smoke too thick. They tried to save as many of the young children as possible, most of them between the ages of 9 and 13, the president's statement said, but the force of the fire was too great.

“We tried to rescue the trapped students, the fire was out of control,” he noted.

They watched helplessly as the fire consumed the building and, unfortunately, the lives of the young souls who could not escape the death chamber that the dormitory had suddenly turned into. There were, however, some who were saved.

“Hao watu wengi walikuwa upande wa juu mahali moto ilikuwa inaelekea, sikuona watu wengi juu ya moto,” Eric added.

Neighbors say this incident is a lasting memory for them and will not leave them alone. The screams of the souls lost in the fire are a constant reminder of a dark night in the region's history.