The Kenyan Red Cross said that on Thursday, February 2, at night, a gas explosion at an industrial building in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, resulted in a large fire that killed two persons and injured almost 300 others.
In a social media post on X (formerly twitter). Kenya Red Cross stated, “The concerted actions of various response units have resulted in the successful evacuation of 271 individuals to different health facilities in Nairobi,” and added that additional 27 people were attended to on site.
At 4:30 in the morning, the two people—an adult and a minor—were officially declared dead. Kenyan Police chief, Wesley Kimeto informed that the death toll may rise as the day breaks.
In another post in X, Kenya Red Cross reported that EMS Kenya evacuated 29 injured people to Kenyatta National Hospital and further stated, “ In the relentless fight against the Embakasi Village fire in Nairobi County, our team, alongside a multi-agency response force, is tirelessly battling the flames.”
The event took place while a business was refuelling petrol cylinders. According to Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Mwaura, the company’s headquarters building sustained damage from the fire that broke out. The fire was extinguished later. Isaac Mwaura in a post on X stated, “One Lorry of an unknown registration number that was loaded with gas exploded, igniting a huge ball of fire that spread widely. A flying gas cylinder hit Oriental Godown, burning down the said godown which deals with garments & textiles.”
He further added, “The inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium sized businesses. Sadly, residential houses in the neighborhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside as it was late at night.”
21 injured were sent to Kenyatta National Hospital, 160 to Mama Lucy General Hospital, 19 to Mbagathi Hospital, 14 to Modern Komarock Hospital, and 8 to Nairobi West Hospital, according to the government official.
