Gas tanker bursts into flames, claims 2 lives, injures hundreds

 Firemen and bystanders extinguish a fire in the Makadara area of Nairobi on January 30, 2024. — AFP

A truck carrying petrol burst into flames in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Thursday, leaving at least two dead and over 200 wounded in a major blast, BBC reported.

According to Isaac Maigua Mwaura, on social networking site X, the explosion sent off a "huge ball of fire that spread widely".

He said that "residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside as it was late at night, the inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium-sized businesses".

According to a government spokesperson, 222 people were sent to different hospitals in the city, and at least two of them died as a result of injuries.

The Kenya Red Cross announced that 300 people have been injured.

The fire broke out Thursday night in the Embakasi neighbourhood, southeast of the capital.

Photos aired by neighbourhood media outlets revealed a massive fireball near many residences.

James Ngoge, who lives across the street from where the fire started, said he and his family were in the house when they heard a huge explosion.\

"There was such a strong tremor that the entire structure shook and seemed like it would fall. We were in full shock at first; it seemed like an earthquake. I have a business on the road that was destroyed."

The fire forced many people to sleep on the roads.

Although the area was sealed off by police, several people were spotted gathering their possessions and assessing the damage.

"The scene has now been secured, and a command centre is now in place to help coordinate rescue operations and other intervention efforts," Mwaura added.