Midday fire kills woman in downtown Nairobi, as another inferno engulfs city’s licensing office

NAIROBI: A middle-aged woman was Monday killed while at least seven patrons were seriously injured in a fire incident at a food kiosk in Nyamakima area, Nairobi.

The woman was among almost 30 people who were in the kiosk on the first floor of a building along Duruma Road when the fire broke out at about midday, witnesses said.

According to police, the fire broke out after a gas leak. An attendant at Jasho Cafe was changing a gas cylinder when a leakage happened.

Witnesses and police said the attendant was changing one cylinder as he cooked causing the fire.

Central OCPD Paul Wanjama said the victims were chocked by fumes and others burnt in the incident.

“The victims were rescued from the café by fire fighters and rushed to hospital where one female was pronounced dead on arrival,” said Wanjama.

He said the cylinder did not explode but continued to emit gas hence accelerating the spread of the fire after the attendant dropped the nozzle and jumped out.

In the process, as the patrons escaped, a stampede happened injuring some of the victims.

Fire fighters from County Government arrived there minutes later and managed to contain the fire and rescued those who had been trapped.

Wanjama said another fire incident at the County Government licensing offices near St Peter Clever burnt down two vehicles and at least ten handcarts.

The vehicles had been detained there by County officials as exhibits. The fire is said to have broken out from one of the offices there before it spread fast to the parking yard causing the damages in the 1 pm incident.

“We do not know the cause of the fire at the licensing offices but we have launched investigations for now. No casualty was reported but two vehicles and a number of handcarts were burnt down,” said Wanjama.

It was later contained by fire engines that rushed there from the Nyamakima scene.