A gas explosion at an industrial building in Kenya’s capital sent huge plumes of smoke billowing over houses, killing two people and injuring hundreds, authorities said.
Kenya Red Cross Society Posted in X It said it had successfully evacuated “271 people to different health facilities in Nairobi.”
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said a company was refilling gas cylinders when a fire broke out just before midnight in Nairobi’s Embakasi area, causing extensive damage to the building where the company is based. Stated.
The fire then gutted a nearby textile and clothing warehouse and damaged several vehicles, commercial facilities and residences.
“As a result, two fellow Kenyans unfortunately lost their lives during treatment at Nairobi West Hospital,” Mwaura said, adding that 222 people were injured in the incident.
The fire was later extinguished, but the cause is unknown.
Embakasi Police Commander Wesley Kimeto said the two dead included an adult and a minor, and warned that the death toll could rise further.
Nairobi residents shot several videos on their mobile phones and could be heard speaking in worried tones, with some even screaming.
Reuters photos from the scene of the fire showed a body lying on the ground covered with a blanket, and other footage showed several nearby houses on fire.
Partnership with Reuters and Associated Press
