One person has been confirmed dead and several seriously injured following a Sunday morning fire that broke out at a Kiambu flat next to Ridgeways Mall.
Firefighters from Nairobi had to break doors of the houses to wake up tens of people who were asleep.
The firefighters arrived at 9:15 am after being alerted by area residents.
Prompt action by firefighters saved the other occupants. Some of them escaped with injuries.
Property worth millions of shillings was destroyed.
An unknown number of residents were saved in the early morning by firefighters who found them deep in sleep after they arrived at 9:10 am.
“I saw the fire from where I work and the first thing I did was to alert the G4S guards at the gate. I also called the fire brigade in Nairobi,” Simon Komo of A-Plus Motors told the Star.
“Most of the residents were asleep and when the firemen arrived at 9.10am we had to start breaking into houses and force them out.”
Eyewitnesses added that an additional number was relaxed in their houses despite the fire commotion.
According to the G4S officials and the caretaker, a fire started at the old building owned by a Kiambu politician at 8:35 am.
“We got the alarm at around 8:50 AM and released three trucks. We also found a G4S track and a number of ambulances on the scene. The response was on time and we had to save lives first since many people were sleeping and locked their doors from inside,” Nairobi County Station master Johnson Mwangi told the Star.
“We didn't experience any challenges and the coordination from the emergency team was good. The place will now be a crime scene to give way to the police officers to start investigations.”
The lady whose mother died had left the house moments heading to work.“She came back only to find out that their two-bedroom was in a bad state that she couldn't save her. A number of units were also engulfed in fire and nothing was saved,” a resident told the Star.
Kombo said that the fire was spreading fast to other areas owing to the type of ceiling, which forced the fire extinguishers to partly destroy the roof. Those who spoke to the Star did not want to be mentioned warning that it would not be good for people to know where they live.
“We ask God to give strength those affected,” the county station master said.
Photos: Benjamin Imende
