Three people tragically died on Thursday morning after falling into a septic tank while cleaning it at Makindu Boys High School in Makueni County.

The victims are said to have been undertaking routine cleaning works when the incident occurred at around 10am, sparking panic within the school and the surrounding area.

Police officers together with the Makueni County Disaster Management team rushed to the scene and launched an operation to retrieve the bodies from the septic tank.

Confirming the incident to Channel 15 News, Makindu Location Chief Jackson Kimende said the three died while cleaning the facility, adding that investigations into the tragedy had commenced.

The identities of the deceased had not been immediately released by authorities by the time of publishing this story.

Witnesses described emotional scenes at the school as rescue teams worked for hours to evacuate the bodies from the deadly pit.

The incident has once again raised concerns over safety measures during septic tank and confined space cleaning operations in schools and institutions across the country.