Gilgil (Kenya) | A government official said 16 students died in an overnight fire at a girls' school in central Kenya.

Education Minister Julius Ogamba said 79 others were injured.

The fire started in the dormitories of the boarding school, known as Utumishi Girls School, in the Gilgil area. The school has more than 800 students. The cause has not been established.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, with some caused by arson and others by electrical faults. (AP)