Five injured in another oil leakage

By Cyrus Ombati

Five workers were injured in a pipeline leakage near the Kenya Pipeline Corporation depot, Nairobi.

The incident happened at a terminal supplying fuel to various marketers as KPC engineers tried to connect a new pipeline to Hashi Energy, a new player in the local industry.

The workers were injured on Tuesday night as they tried to contain the leakage. They are nursing wounds in hospital, police and KPC managers said on Wednesday.

The leakage caused a spillage into a manhole that spills into the Ngong River causing panic.

But KPC engineers downplayed the accident, saying they had contained the strength of the spilt super petrol by pumping foam into the manhole.

One of the open manholes overflowing with petrol into the Ngong River caught fire.

The fire was, however, contained within a short time as workers nearby took to their heels fearing the worst.

Officials at KPC said engineers there were trying to connect a fuel pipe to Hashi Energy when the leakage happened causing a fire accident.

Mr K Wambua an engineer with KPC said they had connected a pipe to the new marketer when the leakage happened on Sunday.

"We have not pumped super fuel to the marketers since Sunday but we hope to restore supply on Thursday. We have been working on the damaged terminal since then," he said.

Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi and his PS Patrick Nyoike rushed to the scene to witness the incident when they heard of the fire.

Nyoike said he hopes there will be normal flow of super petrol to the marketers by today to avoid shortage.

Word spread

Mr Murungi revealed he was in a meeting when he received news of the fire.

"I was in the PM’s office for a meeting when we heard of this and had to rush this way. I am happy they managed to contain the situation in time," he said.

It was panic along Nanyuki Road, where the main depot is when word spread there was fire that had been caused by a fuel spillage.

Workers at the nearby companies ran out work places when an alarm was raised as emergency services were mobilised there.

Police blocked traffic flow to other companies to allow only fire engines and ambulances rushing to save the situation.

It was double tragedy when a G4S fire engine overturned few meters away from the scene of the fire as it raced there.

The incident rekindled memories of the Sinai slums fire incident.