Residents Counting Losses as Night Fire Razes Down Houses in Kangemi

Residents are counting losses after a night fire razed down several houses in Kangemi.

The blaze broke out along Marega Road in the Bata area, with emergency teams responding after the incident was reported late at night.

In a statement on Wednesday, February 25, the Kenya Red Cross confirmed that response teams had been alerted and dispatched to the scene.

"A fire outbreak has been reported along Marega Road (Bata area) in Kangemi. Emergency response teams have been notified and are on their way to the scene," Kenya Red Cross confirmed.

Videos circulating online captured the fierce flames engulfing one house before spreading rapidly to adjacent structures.

Preliminary reports indicate that the inferno may have been triggered by a gas explosion.

Residents and bystanders kept a safe distance as the fire intensified, watching helplessly as the flames tore through the homes.

This comes weeks after residents of Donholm estate in Nairobi were forced to flee their homes after a gas explosion triggered a major fire near a popular eatery.

The inferno, which broke out near the Total Petrol Station in Donholm opposite Triple K, caused panic as multiple explosions were heard in quick succession.

This forced families to flee their homes amid flying debris and exploding gas cylinders.

Witnesses said the fire is suspected to have started inside a local hotel before spreading rapidly to nearby structures.

According to residents, the flames first engulfed the eatery, then spread to an adjacent clinic before reaching a gas cylinder depot located next to the premises.

Once the fire reached the gas depot, preliminary reports indicate that gas cylinders began exploding one after another, intensifying the blaze and worsening the destruction. 

The explosions sent cylinders and debris flying, shattering windows of nearby buildings and damaging several vehicles parked in the area.

Terrified residents reported running out of their homes for safety as the explosions continued, with loud blasts echoing across the estate.

Emergency responders and county disaster management teams rushed to the scene to contain the inferno and assess the situation. 

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread further to surrounding residential blocks and businesses.

By mid-morning, the fire had been contained, but the full extent of the damage and the number of injuries, if any, had not been officially confirmed.