A vehicle loaded with gasoline exploded and sparked a fire that burned homes and warehouses in Kenya’s 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 reached their homes late at night in the Mradi area of Nairobi’s Embakasi neighborhood, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.
The truck explosion ignited a huge fireball and a flying gas cylinder sparked a fire that burned down the Oriental Godown, a warehouse dealing in garments and textiles, Mwaura said.
Several other vehicles and businesses were damaged in the inferno that began around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.
At dawn, several houses and shops were burned there. The hull of the vehicle believed to have started the explosion was lying on its side.
The roof of a four-story residential building about 200 meters from the explosion site was broken by a flying gas cylinder.
Flames rise after an explosion in the Embakasi district of Nairobi, Kenya, on 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 gas-laden truck exploded in Kenya’s capital. AFP via Getty Images
Electrical cables lay on the ground. Nothing remained in the burned warehouse except the hulls of several trucks.
Alfred Juma, an aspiring politician, said he heard a loud noise coming from a gas cylinder in a warehouse next to his house. “I started waking up the neighbors and asked them to leave,” Juma said.
He said he warned a black car not to pass through the area, but the driver insisted and his vehicle stopped due to fumes.
“He tried to start the car three times and that’s when there was an explosion and the fire spread to the (warehouse) causing other explosions.”
A woman looks from a balcony at severely damaged houses and shops, a day after a gas explosion in the Embakasi area of Nairobi, February 2, 2024. AFP via Getty Images A burning gas truck is seen after a explosion at an industrial building in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 2, 2024. AP An injured man receives treatment at the site of an explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 2, 2024. AP
He said he grabbed two children and hid them in a sewage ditch until the explosions stopped.
His family was not present, but Juma lost everything he owned in the fire.
“The police were turning everyone away and that’s why it was difficult to access my house and I had to find a place to sleep until this morning,” said neighbor Caroline Karanja.
People gather in the Embakasi area of Nairobi a day after a gas explosion, February 2, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
She said the smell and smoke were still suffocating and she would have to stay away for a while because she had small children.
Police and the Kenya Red Cross reported three deaths.
The number of victims could increase after dawn, said Wesley Kimeto, Embakasi police chief.
The government and the Red Cross said 271 people were taken to various hospitals with injuries.
The industrial company’s proximity to residences raised questions about the implementation of the city’s plans.
County government officials have been accused of accepting bribes to bypass building codes and regulations.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn