A gas blast has killed two people, and left more than 220 people in
Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday night, according to media reports.
The incident occurred 30 minutes to midnight when a truck
carrying gas exploded, igniting a ball of fire at Embakasi suburb - a home to
some South Sudanese families.
"The company was refilling gas cylinders when the
fire broke out and several people were injured and rushed to hospital," said
Isaac Mwaura, government spokesperson.
"The building hosting the company is badly damaged.
The cause of the fire remains unknown."
A multi-agency team comprising the Nairobi County fire
brigade, and National Police Service, Kenya Red Cross and E-Plus Ambulances
Kenya are leading the efforts to combat the fire, reported The Star.
Kenya Red Cross in an update on its Twitter handle said 100 households have been evicted.
Many of the injured are said to have inhalation injuries and they include at least 25 children, the Standard newspaper reports.
“The concerted actions of various response units have resulted in the successful evacuation of 271 individuals to different health facilities in Nairobi, said the red cross on X.
“In coordination with the Kenya Red Cross action team,
promptly attended to an extra 27 individuals on-site.”
Mwaura said the blast scene had been secured and a
command center had been set up to help co-ordinate rescue operations.
"Kenyans are hereby advised to keep off the cordoned
area in order to allow the rescue mission to be carried out [with] minimal
disruptions," he added.