A vehicle carrying gas burst in the Kenyan Capital on Friday, 2nd January 2024, killing at least three people and injuring over 270 others in a major inferno, according to authorities.

Over 9 hours after it broke out, firefighters were able to contain the fire by approximately 9:00 am (0600 GMT), according to a reporter.

Government spokesman Isaac Maigua Mwaura wrote on X that the explosion caused a “huge ball of fire that spread widely.”

He claimed that as a result, “many small and medium-sized businesses, as well as several vehicles and commercial properties, were further damaged by the inferno.”

“Unfortunately, because it was late at night, a good number of residents in the neighborhood’s residential houses also caught fire,” he continued.

Douglas Kanja, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, informed reporters that 271 people were admitted to different hospitals in Nairobi and that at least three people had died.

In the Southeast of the capital, in the Embakasi neighborhood, the fire started on Thursday, 1st February 2024 night soon before midnight.

Pictures from the local media revealed a massive fireball near several houses. A correspondent claimed that multiple residences and cars were set on fire, and pictures from the area showed the charred remains of the cars.

James Ngoge, who lives across the street from where the fire started told newsmen, “We were in the house and heard a huge explosion.”

“There was a tremendous tremor that rocked the entire building, giving the impression that it might fall. We were completely unaware of what was going on at first; it was similar to an earthquake.”

“The business I own on that road was totally destroyed.”

Many people in the neighborhood were forced to spend the night outside due to the explosion, and when authorities cleared the site and roped off the impacted area, massive columns of black smoke could be seen rising from the region.

A few people were observed gathering their possessions and assessing the extent of the harm to their residences.

“A command center has been established to facilitate the coordination of rescue operations and other intervention efforts, and the scene has been secured,” Mwaura stated.

2018 saw at least 70 people injured and 15 fatalities after a fire at Nairobi’s Gikomba market.

Six other victims, including four children, passed away in a hospital from their wounds, while nine more victims were found in an apartment building close to the market.

Numerous wooden and tarp stalls at the market that sell used clothing, shoes, and veggies were destroyed by the pre-dawn fire.

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