A gas-laden vehicle exploded and sparked a fire that gutted homes and warehouses in the Kenyan capital early Friday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 270, with the death toll expected to rise.
Many residents were likely inside their homes when the fire broke out late at night in the Mradi area of Nairobi’s Embakasi neighborhood, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.
The explosion of the truck set off a large fireball, and a flying gas cylinder ignited a fire that burned the Oriental Godown, a warehouse dealing in clothing and textiles, Mwaura said.
Several vehicles and other businesses were damaged in the fire which started at about 11:30pm on Thursday.
At the scene after dawn, several houses and shops were burnt. The bullet of the vehicle believed to have started the explosion lay on its side.
The roof of a four-story residential building about 200 meters (way) from the location of the explosion was crushed by a flying gas barrel.
Flames rise following an explosion in Embakasi district, in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, in this screenshot taken from a social media video. via REUTERS At least three people were killed and more than 270 injured in a massive fire when a truck loaded with gas exploded in the Kenyan capital. AFP via Getty Images
Electric wires are located on the ground. Nothing remained of the charred warehouse except the shells of a few trucks.
Alfred Juma, an aspiring politician, said he heard a loud noise from a gas cylinder in a warehouse next to his house. “I started waking up the neighbors asking them to leave,” Juma said.
He said he warned a black car not to drive through the area, but the driver insisted and the vehicle stopped due to smoke.
“He tried to start the car three times and that’s when there was an explosion and the fire spread to (the warehouse) causing another explosion.”
A woman looks from a balcony at badly damaged houses and shops, a day after a gas explosion in the Embakasi area of Nairobi, on February 2, 2024. AFP via Getty Images A gas truck is seen burning after an explosion at an industrial building in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 2, 2024. AP An injured man is treated at the scene of an explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 2, 2024. AP
He said, he caught two children and they hid in the sewage ditch until the explosion was over.
His family was not present, but Juma lost everything he owned in the fire.
“The police have turned everyone away and so it is difficult to access my house and I had to find a place to sleep until this morning,” said neighbor Caroline Karanja.
People gather in Nairobi’s Embakasi area a day after a gas explosion, on February 2, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
She said the smell and smoke is still choking, and she needs to stay away for a while because she has a small child.
Police and the Kenya Red Cross reported three deaths.
The death toll may rise after dawn, said Wesley Kimeto, Embakasi police chief.
The government and the Red Cross said 271 people had been taken to several hospitals with injuries.
The proximity of industrial companies to residences raises questions about the enforcement of city plans.
Officials in county government have been accused of taking bribes to ignore building codes and regulations.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
