A gas truck explodes in Nairobi, setting fire to a warehouse and damaging homes and vehicles.
A gas truck explodes in Kenya's capital Nairobi, setting off a massive fireball that burns down homes and warehouses, killing at least three people and injuring more than 270.
The fire broke out in the Embakasi district on Thursday night and many residents were indoors by the time the fire reached their homes, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura told the X program.
“One truck [truck] “The gas-carrying vehicle with an unknown registration number exploded, creating a huge fireball that spread over a wide area,” it posted on Friday morning, adding that vehicles, businesses and homes were engulfed in flames. “A significant number of residents [were] It was late at night so I was still inside,” he said.
Mwaura said about 222 people were rushed to various hospitals in the capital region.
The fire was eventually extinguished by Friday morning, but firefighters, rescue teams and police were still searching for people trapped in the area.
At the scene after dawn, several houses and businesses were burnt to the ground. The shell from the vehicle that was believed to have caused the explosion was lying on its side. The roof of a four-story house about 200 meters (yards) from the explosion site was destroyed by a flying gas cylinder. Electric wires were laid on the ground. Nothing but the shells of several trucks remained of the burnt-out warehouse, Oriental Godown, which sold clothing and textiles.
Alfred Juma, an aspiring politician, said he heard loud noises coming from gas cylinders in a warehouse next to his house. “I started waking up my neighbors and asking them to leave,” Juma said.
He said he warned the black car not to drive in the area, but the driver insisted and the car stalled due to exhaust fumes. “He tried to start the car three times, at which time an explosion occurred and the fire spread to (the warehouse) and caused other explosions.”
Juma said he grabbed the two children and hid in a sewer until the explosion was over. Although the family was not at the scene, they lost all their property in the fire.
Earlier, the Kenya Red Cross said 271 people had been taken to medical facilities around the capital, with 27 receiving treatment at the scene.
Mwaura said the area was “secured and a command center is now in place to help coordinate rescue and other intervention operations.”
“Kenyans are advised to stay away from the lockdown areas so that rescue operations can be carried out with minimal disruption,” he added.
Second update on the Embakasi gas explosion and fire accident
In addition to previous communications, the Government of Kenya would like to confirm that yesterday, Thursday, February 1, 2024, at approximately 11:30pm, there was a large-scale explosion in the Muradi area of Embakasi, Nairobi County.
One…
— GoK spokesperson (@SpokespersonGoK) February 2, 2024
“How irresponsible.”
Caroline Karanja said neighbors had to flee after the explosion as police sealed off the entire area.
“It was difficult to get close to the house because the police turned everyone away, so I had to look for a place to sleep until this morning,” Karanja told The Associated Press. She said the smell and smoke are still choking and she will have to stay away for a while because she has young children.
Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said on Friday that it had refused permission to build a liquefied petroleum gas storage and filling plant at the explosion site three times in the last year.
“The main reason for the refusal is that the design does not meet the established safety distances,” the statement said, citing “the high population density surrounding the proposed site.”
But residents claimed nearby gas projects were operating with impunity and with little regard for residents' safety.
“Why is there a gas factory in the middle of an apartment complex? This is a residential area and there is a gas factory right next to it. It's not just one, it's several,” Magdalen Kerbo, 34, told AFP. Told. “Our government is so irresponsible,” she said indignantly.
