Nairobi, KENYA: 15 people are feared dead after fire broke out at around 2 am at Kwa Mbao, Gikomba market in Nairobi.
Confirming the incident to Baraka FM on Thursday, Nairobi Regional Commissioner Kang’ethe Thuku, said that 9 died on the spot while 6 others died after getting to the hospital.
He added that 70 people have been admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital after suffering from burns caused by the fire outbreak.
“I can confirm that 15 people are reported dead while 70 people have been rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment,” said Thuku.
The cause of the inferno is yet to be established but according to the survivors, they say it may have been an electrical fire caused by faulty electrical outlets.
The Commissioner said that the inferno caused a lot of property damage that cannot be ascertained at the moment.
The government has promised to pay bills for the affected ones.
Technical inspection has been brought in to determine whether the burned building should be brought down and treat the site as a crime scene.
A team of National government administration has been put in place comprising of the Kenya Defence Forces KDF, Disaster Rescue unit DRU and National Disaster Management Unit NDMU to handle the tragedy.
