Photo: VCG

At least seven pupils were killed and 59 others injured early Monday after their classroom collapsed at a school compound in Nairobi, government and charity officials said.

Kenyan government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said the affected classrooms at the Precious Talent School were in a two-storey building that caved in at around 6:50 a.m. (0350 GMT).

Oguna confirmed the death toll, saying the injured were rushed to Kenyatta National Referral Hospital, noting that the government would pay the medical bills of the injured pupils.

"Fifty-nine students have been taken to hospital for treatment and we can also confirm that there have been seven fatalities. This is a private school but the government is going to ensure the injured pupils receive medical treatment," said Oguna.

St John's Ambulance Communications manager Fred Majiwa said the two-storey building that collapsed was made of iron sheets and wood.

Majiwa said currently the rescue teams have managed to comb through all the rubble, and will give detailed information later.

It is not clear how many pupils were at school at the time of the incident, but reports say about 850 pupils were in the school compound.

Top floor of the building was housing junior primary pupils but the most affected are those in Class six, Class seven and Class eight on the ground floor.

Parents of the affected pupils rushed to the scene when news of the incident broke out.

Officials said investigators would establish if the construction of the building violates safety rules.