NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1 — Police in Nairobi have confirmed a gas explotion in Ngara area on the margins of the Cental Business District tracing the fire to a wholesale distributor.
A police report circulated on Sunday indicated an explosion of cooking gas cylinders at an outlet along Desai Road triggred the 5am incident.
Police said fire engines from Nairobi City and GSU responded to the incident and documented no casulaties.
The explosion, reported at around 5:28 AM, is believed to have originated from a shop owned by a man only identified as Stephen.
His business deals in the wholesale and retail of cooking gas, and received the last bulk supply at 5:00 am according to police.
The explosion sparked a fire that quickly spread to surrounding areas, destroying both businesses and residential structures.
An initial assessemnt suggested the fire had impacted thirty business units and ten residential units leading to a yet to be quantified loss.
Earlier, videos circulating on social media showed large balls of fire engulfing the area, with thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
This incident comes months after a gas-related tragedy in February when a gas explosion in the Mradi area of Embakasi claimed at least three lives and left over 280 people injured.
The Embakasi explosion, caused by a leak on gas cylinder truck, sparked calls for accountability over the operation of gas plants within residential areas against established regulations.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced the immediate closure of gas refilling stations within a 200-meter radius of residential premises in response to the Mradi incident.
Sunday’s fire in Ngara has reignited concerns over the safety of fuel and gas handling facilities in densely populated areas with calls for stricter regulations and swift action to deter such incidents.
