Why have so many school fires occurred in Kenya?

Arsons targeting schools have caused scores of student deaths in the past two decades.

At least 18 pupils have died, and 27 injured, in a fire at a boarding school for primary school-aged children in central Kenya, police say.

Authorities said more than a dozen children up to the age of 12 from the Hillside Endarasha Primary School in Nyeri county were rushed to hospital with severe burns after the blaze on Thursday. There are fears that the death toll could rise.

It is unclear yet what caused the school fire, but arson attacks at Kenyan boarding schools have become an alarming national trend. More than 100 children have died in the past two decades from fire-related incidents in schools.

Here’s what we know about the incident, and what’s causing Kenya’s school fire problem:

Fire broke out on Thursday night at the co-educational primary school, which has about 800 pupils aged five to 12. About 150 boys were believed to be in a dormitory when it caught fire.