Kenya: 2 Dead, 222 Injured Due to Gas Explosion in the Capital

February 2, 2024 Hour: 4:00 pm

On Friday morning, an official confirmed that at least two people were killed and 222 others were injured in a gas explosion in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

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Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the fire, which started at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday local time (2030 GMT), it was caused by a truck loaded with gas cylinders that exploded, igniting a huge fireball that spread to a warehouse and a neighborhood nearby.

A flying gas cylinder hit a garments and textiles warehouse, burning it down, Mwaura said in a statement.

He said the fire also damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium-sized businesses, in the Embakasi neighborhood.

“Sadly, residential houses in the neighborhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside as it was late at night,” Mwaura added.

@WHO emergency trauma kits were this evening delivered to hospitals in Nairobi, where victims of the Embakassi gas explosion are being treated. The kits worth Ksh 6.4 Million were delivered to Kenyatta National Hospital, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital & KUTTRH. pic.twitter.com/MwZyKu320r

— WHO Kenya (@WHOKenya)
February 2, 2024

Embakasi police commander Wesley Kimeto confirmed the death toll, saying one adult and a minor had died in the hospital, and that the number of casualties may increase later.

A video posted on social media showed a huge fire raging close to blocks of flats.

The Kenya Red Cross Society said a total of 271 individuals have been successfully evacuated to several health facilities in Nairobi.

The latest incident came after a fire broke out on Tuesday night near a local stadium in downtown Nairobi, injuring four people.