Several families in Nairobi’s Kibra sub-county have been left homeless after a fire incident on the night of Wednesday, August 14.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that a fire broke out in the Mashimoni area at around 11:35 p.m., prompting an emergency response team to be dispatched to the scene.
“Incident Alert 2335Hrs: A fire incident has been reported at Mashimoni, Kibra in Nairobi County. NCC fire enroute. Our Community-Based Disaster Response Team (CBDRT) has been activated,” the Kenya Red Cross stated.
In an update at 12:10 a.m., the Kenya Red Cross reported that teams, including the CBDRT, the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) Emergency team, and the police, were at the scene attempting to help put out the fire.
In its latest update, the agency confirmed that the fire had been put out after the combined efforts of various response teams, including the Kenya Defence Forces.
The Kenya Red Cross announced that it would conduct an investigation on Thursday, August 15, to assess the needs of the affected families.
“The fire has been contained with the support of the NCCG Fire and Emergency team, community members, and the Kenya Defence Forces. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the fire. Our team will conduct an assessment at sunrise to identify the key needs and priorities of those impacted,” the agency stated.
Also Read: Fire Burns Down House with Mother and 3 Children Locked Inside
Toi Market Fire
This incident comes ten days after four people were killed, and property of unknown value destroyed following a fire that broke out at Toi Market in Kibra on August 3, 2024.
The victims were burnt beyond recognition in the fire that razed Toi Market.
Reports indicated that a child was among the victims, while the other three were adults who were trying to save their belongings when they were overpowered by the fire.
Traders at the popular Toi Market are also counting losses after the fire destroyed their stalls. The incident, which was reported to have started around 4 a.m., rapidly spread through a number of stalls.
Witnesses confirmed that the fire began in one section of the market before spreading to other stalls to occasion yet another massive loss for traders.
Also Read: Four Killed as Night Fire Burns Down Toi Market
Sakaja’s Promise
In his visit to the market, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja promised to support traders in reconstructing their stalls following the fire.
In a statement after visiting Toi Market, Sakaja expressed his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and pledged to stand with the traders.
“Poleni sana to all affected, and condolences to the bereaved. We will support their families during this trying time. For the traders, we will rebuild and help you get back on your feet,” Sakaja said.
The Governor also thanked first responders and all who tried to help salvage the situation, noting that the county had a total of seven fires across the night of August 2.
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