The Kenyan government reports many injuries and at least three deaths after a major fire in the capital Nairobi. It was triggered by the explosion of a truck carrying gas. Numerous houses caught fire.
According to government figures, at least three people died and more than 200 people were injured in a major nighttime fire following a gas explosion in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Maigua Mwaura said in the short message service X that a truck loaded with gas exploded late in the evening in the Embakasi district in southeast Nairobi. This led to a “huge fireball” that spread.
Fire brigade still on duty in the morning
Numerous shops and residential buildings caught fire, as the government spokesman wrote. Videos on social media showed fireballs rising into the sky as people ran through the streets in panic.
According to local media, it took hours for firefighters and other emergency services to reach the scene.
In the morning, numerous firefighters were still on duty to put out the flames, as a journalist from the AFP news agency reported. Thick black smoke rose. There is a lot of industry in the affected district, but also high-rise buildings and simple settlements.
With information from Antje Diekhans, ARD Studio Nairobi
Antje Diekhans, ARD Nairobi, tagesschau, February 2nd, 2024 10:34 a.m
