Three people have sustained serious injuries after a petrol store caught fire in Mfangano island, Suba North constituency in Homa Bay.
The cause of the Friday evening fire at Ugina Beach is yet to be established however, residents said they saw fire at the store shortly after the attendant walked in to serve a customer.
The fire then quickly spread to houses adjacent to the store.
The three men who were in the neighbourhood sustained serious burns and were taken to Mbita Subcounty hospital in critical condition.
At least 10 families were left in the cold after their houses were burnt.
Three boat engines worth about Sh750,000 were also burnt.
Traders who were selling items around the area also lost their goods. Plastic goods worth Sh150,000 were destroyed in the inferno.
Mfangano South Chief Alice Otieno said cause of the fire had not been established.
“The young man went to tap petrol so that he would sell to a customer. Fire broke out in the house suddenly. Nobody knows the source of the fire and what caused it,” Otieno said.
She said the victims were first taken to Sena Health Centre but their condition continued worsening, forcing the medics to transfer them to Mbita Subcounty hospital.
The administrator urged residents to be cautious when handling flammable goods like petrol.
“We had a scary incident this evening. I appeal to residents to be careful on how they handle petrol. Failure to handle petrol well can cause unprecedented damages,” Otieno said.
