Fire in Mukuru Kayaba leaves hundreds homeless
A man tries to put out a fire that razed several houses in Mukuru-Kayaba slum, Nairobi.
More than 100 families have lost their homes after a fire destroyed 150 houses in a Nairobi slum on Friday.
The incident took place at around 10am in Kambi Moto area, Mukuru Kayaba slum in Starehe Sub-County.
According to South B Youth leader Rodriques Lunalo, the fire broke out in one house before spreading to the rest.
It is alleged that a woman had left a gas cylinder on while she was cooking food and left the house before turning it off.
"Before today's fire, last night the neighbors put out another blaze before it spread after a gas cylinder caught fire. I was able to remove five gas cylinders as we struggled to put out today's fire," Mr Lunalo said.
Several youths from Kayaba, Hazina and Sokoni slums mobilised to put out the inferno. However, due to the lack of access roads to the scene, they were forced to demolish some houses to prevent further spread of the fire.
A man tries to put out a fire that razed several houses in Mukuru-Kayaba slum, Nairobi.
At one point, angry youths pelted stones at firefighters from the Nairobi County Government, a move that Landi Mawe senior chief, Mr Mulandi Kikuvi, condemned.
"I have confirmed that a firefighter has been stoned and injured on his left leg. The hose pipes were also cut with a panga so that the water could not reach the scene of the tragedy,” he told Nation.Africa.
Before the fire engine arrived, youths had lined up with basins and jerricans filled with water from Ngong River to help put out the fire. Others also broke water pipes and used the water to extinguish the flames.
The scene of the tragedy had only rental houses built from iron sheets. No commercial structures were at the scene.
