A suspected arson attack at a Kenyan girls’ boarding school has left 16 students dead and 79 injured, exposing alleged negligence, overcrowding and ignored warnings. Authorities have arrested eight students as investigators probe one of the country’s deadliest school tragedies in years.

May 29 (UPI) -- Eight students were arrested Friday for the alleged arson of a dormitory at a Kenyan girls' boarding school on Thursday that killed 16 students and injured 79 others, local officials announced.

Police say eight students have been arrested in connection with the suspected arson attack in which 16 pupils died.

Police in Kenya have arrested eight female students on suspicion of arson, authorities said Friday, after a fire destroyed a dormitory at a boarding school, killing 16 children and injuring dozens of others. The motive is still unknown. Police held 30 students overnight for questioning. Authorities said school administrators would…

The fire killed 16 children and injured 79 others at the school.

A tragic fire struck Utumishi Girls School in Kenya's Gilgil region, leading to the untimely deaths of sixteen students and injuries to seventy-nine more. The flames began in the dormitories, leaving a community in mourning and shock. Investigators are working to determine what sparked this horrific blaze, as concerns about the safety of boarding schools in Kenya continue to surface.