Fresh details have emerged about the explosion that occurred in Nairobi’s Fedha area on June 3 involving a Liquified Petroleum Gas tanker.
One of the witnesses said that the driver of an LPG gas tanker was trying to cross a railway track in the area when he realized that there was leakage.
According to witnesses, the impact of the gas leakage could have been less severe were it not for a matatu driver who insisted on salvaging his vehicle which was stuck at the area where a cloud of gas was already visible.
Speaking to the media on Monday, one of the witnesses said a driver of a matatu caught up in the leakage asked about how he would save his vehicle from the imminent fire but was warned against starting the engine amid the leakage.
“The driver of this vehicle came and asked me what he should do, I told him not to ignite the engine and instead move the vehicle by pushing it,” the witness said.
“The driver of the LPG truck did not ignite his starter but the driver of the matatu did,” the witness revealed.
Reports indicate that just before noon, the driver of the LPG tanker tried to cross the railway tracks at Avenue Park estate.
Upon noticing a leak in the tank, he managed to get off the vehicle. However, the driver of the matatu behind him contemplated going to secure his car before the unfortunate event happened.
Images and video clips seen by The Kenya Times, show the sequence of events leading to the LPG tanker bursting into flames.
The footage shows gas leaking forming a cloud like smoke that engulfed a matatu as the driver looked on.
Despite the locals warning him against approaching his matatu, the driver defied their advice and ignited the vehicle.
Moments later, the driver is seen running away from the explosion, badly burnt, and seeking help from those nearby.
Aftermath of the Embakasi Gas Explosion
Following the explosion, police have launched an investigation into its cause.
Also Read: Fuel Tanker Explodes on Nairobi’s Outering Road
Embakasi Sub-County commander Wesley Kimetto confirmed the incident and urged people to avoid the area.
“Two victims have been taken to hospitals, I’m not able to ascertain which hospital the two have been taken to, so the investigations have begun, and more information will follow,” said Kimetto.
Residents of the area were concerned by the slow response by the emergency services and claimed that they took long to respond to the situation.
Also Read: Owner of Embakasi Gas Plant Defends Himself, Reveals Blunder Behind Explosion
A witness at the scene expressed concerns about how Kenya’s preparation for disaster management.
“What is surprising is that this fire has been on for two hours because I’m seeing that the fire trucks got here like thirty minutes ago, that means that we have a huge challenge in terms of disaster response,” he said.
Another witness added, “The emergency responders were late, for this fire to get this far, we have waited for almost one hour seeing smoke and fire”.
This explosion follows a similar incident earlier this year after when another tanker exploded at an illegal gas refilling facility in Mradi area Embakasi leaving twelve people dead, and several others injured.
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