Firefighters in Nairobi and Kajiado counties battled huge infernos on Wednesday, January 30 night, which left a trail of losses and injuries. According to the Kenya Red Cross, a fire that broke out along Landhies Road, around the City Stadium roundabout before it was extinguished a few hours past midnight.
In a statement, Red Cross said a collaboration between the Kenya Police and Kenya Defence Forces teams jointly contained the raging fire.
The humanitarian body stated that four people were critically injured but were rushed to a hospital.
“We are grateful for the effective collaboration with the Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Police.
Our response team played a crucial role in managing four critical injuries, ensuring their swift evacuation to the hospital,” Red Cross noted.
City Stadium traders left counting losses
The fire broke out on Tuesday, January 30, evening. Businesses in the Juakali area off both Landhies and Jogoo Road were engulfed in the fire with a huge smoke ascending from the area.
Business stalls in the area were razed down by the fire that lasted for more than six hours painting a picture of the losses incurred by the business community in the area.
Fire engines from Nairobi County and ambulances from Red Cross’ emergency team camped in the scene through the night as efforts to contain the inferno continued.
Also Read: Why Gikomba Fires Could be More Than Just Accidents
Some of the businesses in the area include several workshops owned by Juakali artisans who assemble goods including metallic boxes.
Some members of the public stood and watched the fire helplessly even as some joined in efforts to put out the fire and save some goods.
By Wednesday, January 31, morning, a dark smoke was still ascending from the remains of the stalls with some business owners camping in the area to assess the damage caused.
Fire burns businesses in Kitengela
Elsewhere in Kitengela, Kajiado County, a fire destroyed several businesses after a building adjacent to a bank caught fire.
Also Read: Fire Razes Down Businesses at City Stadium
The fire reportedly broke out at 9.30 pm with locals noting that it was preceded by a loud explosion sound.
As of the time of this publication, the causes of the two fires were yet to be established.
The Monday fire adds to the latest concerns of fire outbreaks in market or business centers in the city.
Just a few meters from the Jua kali area where the fire incident took place, traders in Gikomba market have had to cope with perennial fires that leave them counting losses.
The exact cause of the now rampant fires is yet to be established with speculations pointing to different directions.
