Police are probing the circumstances under which a man burned to death inside his car in Buruburu Phase 5, Nairobi, on Tuesday.
Private security guards manning Mai Mahiu Court along Katulo Road reported a car that was burning at the parking yard.
Nairobi county firefighters were called to put out the fire, which had destroyed the interior of the Subaru Impreza registration number KBY 779M.
“Upon search, there was a body of one male adult who lives in house number 465 next to the parking yard, namely Terance Korir, aged 36 years,” read a police report from Buruburu police station.
Korir, who is believed to be the owner of the car, was burned beyond recognition.
The victim was preparing to leave for work at 8.30am when the incident happened.
There was speculation the fire was caused by a sanitiser inside the car.
"Since the onset of Covid-19, we have been carrying and interacting with a highly flammable and very volatile chemical in the name of sanitiser,” a netizen said.
"If you leave it in the car, the ethanol can vaporise and fill up the car, and on car ignition, it causes a serious fire, which can be life-threatening."
However, Buruburu subcounty police commander Adamson Bungei told the Star the claims that sanitiser inside the car caused the fire have not been confirmed.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are not known. For now, we are treating it as a fire incident,” he said, adding that investigations are underway.
The victim is survived by a wife and two children.
